


Josh & Olive One-Shots

by Alas_I_Cannot_Swim



Category: Actor RPF, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Josh Hutcherson - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-22
Updated: 2013-06-22
Packaged: 2017-12-15 19:05:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 67
Words: 153,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/852993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alas_I_Cannot_Swim/pseuds/Alas_I_Cannot_Swim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All one-shots of Josh & Olive in the order they were posted. Previously on Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Imagine Being on the Back of Josh's Dirt Bike

        “Ready to go?” Josh asked, as I slipped my Converse on.

“That depends. Where are we going?” I retorted.

Josh laughed and shook his head. “I already told you. It’s a surprise!”

I pouted, but followed him out my front door. After a short elevator ride, we arrived in the lobby and headed outside. I lived in a beautiful apartment building near the water in Santa Monica and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

“Don’t you have to get your car from the valet?” I questioned, as he walked in the opposite direction.

“Nope! I didn’t take my car.”

“How did you get here then? You didn’t walk, it’s too far.” I was extremely confused, but followed him until we reached the gate where there was a black and silver motorcycle propped up next to it.

“You’re right. I didn’t walk. I took this,” he replied, patting the leather seat of the bike.

My eyes immediately bulged out of my head. “Are you serious? A motorcycle?” I squeaked out.  _Doesn’t he know how many people die on these every year?_

“I bought it a few weeks ago. I have my license for it and I’ve been riding them pretty much my entire life. It’s such a nice day out, I figured we’d take the bike to where we’re going.”

“Josh, I am not getting on that thing,” I said, defiantly.

Josh cocked his eyebrow. “Sweetheart, I promise we will be perfectly safe. All you have to do is lean when I lean and hold on to me.”

“And all YOU have to do is sit in the passenger seat of my car while I drive,” I said.

He sighed and scrubbed his hands up and down his face a few times. “What are you afraid of?”

“Oh, I don’t know… dying maybe?” I replied, sarcastically.

“Do you think I would let you die? You are the most important person to me. I would never do anything to jeopardize your life. I’d throw myself in front of a bullet for you. I love you,” he confessed, taking my hands in his. “Trust me.”

I sighed, squeezing his hands. “I do trust you. It’s the other people on the road I don’t trust. What if, God forbid, we get into an accident? There is nothing to protect us,” I replied, softly.

Josh stepped closer and pressed his forehead against mine. “I swear on my life, I will get us there safe and sound. I will be cautious, careful, and I promise you that I will not speed. Please?” he begged.

I bit my lip, wrapping my arms around him. He immediately reciprocated. “Okay, Josh. We’ll take your bike,” I whispered into his chest.

He lifted my chin up with one hand, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “Thank you, beautiful.”

            We let go of each other and Josh grabbed the two helmets off of the handlebars. He put the silver one on his head before helping me put the pink one on mine.

            “I’m going to have helmet hair for the rest of the day,” I grumbled.

            Josh laughed, good-naturedly. “Helmet hair or not, you are still the sexiest woman to ever walk the earth.” I stuck my tongue out at him as he climbed onto the bike. “Get on, Gorgeous.”

            I tentatively climbed onto the seat, wrapping my arms around his strong waist and resting my cheek against his back. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

            He laughed and started the bike up, making it vibrate and shake my whole body. I squeezed him tighter and closed my eyes. “Relax, Babe. We’ll be fine. Like I said before, just lean when I lean,” he instructed.

            I took a deep breath as we started off. Josh went slow down the driveway and stopped at the end. I still hadn’t opened my eyes, but the coast must have been cleared because he started going again, this time a lot faster. “Oh, God. Please don’t kill us. Please, please, please don’t kill us. I promise I won’t lie to my boss anymore about being sick when I’m really just hung over. Please, just let us live,” I pleaded into Josh’s back.

            “You okay back there?” he yelled over the loud wind.

            “NO! I’m bargaining with God to let us live!” I yelled back, making him laugh. We must have been on the bike for about twenty minutes before we finally came to a halt. I had not once opened my eyes or loosened my death grip on Josh.

            “We’re here, Sweetheart,” he said, placing one of his hands on top of mine on his stomach.

            I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. We were in the parking lot of Duke’s Restaurant in Malibu. I smiled. “Duke’s?” I asked.

            “Yes, for lunch. This is the first part of your surprise. I thought it fitting since this was where we had our first date when you came out to visit me for the first time,” he said.

            I smiled even wider. I used to live in New York City, but moved out to California to be closer to Josh when our relationship became serious. “This is absolutely perfect.” After detaching myself from him, we got off the bike and walked hand in hand towards the entrance of Duke’s.

            Josh stopped me before we reached the door, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my forehead. “That wasn’t so bad now, was it?”

            I giggled and shook my head. “It was scary, but the best part was being able to hold on to you the whole time,” I replied.

            “Yeah. I enjoyed that too.” With a kiss on the lips, he grabbed my hand and we headed into the restaurant. Maybe being on the back of Josh’s bike wasn’t so bad after all.


	2. Imagine You are Ill and Josh is Taking Care of You

            The jingle of keys and the front door opening woke me from my coma on the sofa and I groaned. My head was pounding, my throat felt like it was on fire, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear someone was sitting on my chest.

            “Babe?” I heard Josh call out, as he shut the door behind him.

            “In here,” I managed to croak out, hoping he could follow the sound of my voice. The last thing I wanted to do was attempt to shout again. His footsteps got closer and before I knew it, he stood in the doorway to my living room.

            “Are you okay?” he asked, concerned.

            I groaned and buried my face into a sofa pillow. “No. I want to die,” was my muffled response. Again, I heard footsteps and felt the couch sink in beside me.

            “You don’t look too good, Sweetheart. Let me feel your forehead,” he demanded, trying to coax my face out of the pillow. I pouted and turned to face him, not caring how terrible I looked. He placed the back of his hand on my forehead and frowned. “You have a fever. What else hurts?”

            “Everything. I woke up this morning feeling like death and have been sleeping on the couch all day. You probably shouldn’t be here. You can’t afford to get sick with all the filming you’re doing,” I said. The last thing I wanted was for him to leave, but he really didn’t need to get sick with all the crazy hours he’d been putting in on his new movie.

            “I don’t want to hear any of that. You’re my girlfriend and you’re sick. I’m going to take care of you. No arguments,” he said determinedly, while giving me a pointed look.

            I sighed. “Okay, Dr. Hutcherson,” I replied, secretly happy inside that he wasn’t leaving me alone in a puddle of my own germs.

            Josh raised his eyebrows and smirked. “Oh, so we’re playing doctor?”

            “Don’t even start, Josh. I am way too sick to even think about getting kinky at the moment,” I chided.

            He laughed loudly and kissed my forehead. “I’m only joking, Sweetheart. Now, first order of business: you need to take some Tylenol and a nice warm bath to bring that fever down.”

            “I don’t want to move!” I whined.

            “Too bad. I want you to feel better and I know you want to feel better, too,” he said.

            I groaned and unwillingly got up from my position on the couch. Standing up made me feel weak and dizzy, so I stumbled a bit. Josh wrapped his arms around me and led me into the bathroom. He ran a bath of warm water while I stripped my pajamas off. Standing in the middle of my bathroom naked made me realize how cold I was and I began to shiver. “Josh, do I really have to do this?” I whined again.

            “It will bring your fever down, so yes,” he said, matter-of-factly. Once the bathtub was full, he shut the water off and turned around to face me. I didn’t even bother covering myself up because it wasn’t like he’d never seen me naked. “You get in and I’ll bring you some Tylenol. Then I promise you we can lay on the couch, eat chicken soup, and watch whatever movies you want. Deal?”

            “Deal,” I reluctantly agreed. He kissed my forehead and left the room as I walked over to the tub. The moment my right foot hit the water, I immediately drew it back. “Josh? I thought you said a warm bath? This water is freezing cold!” I called out as loudly as my sore throat would let me.

            Josh came back into the doorway. “It is warm. It only feels cold to you because your body temperature is so hot. I promise it will make you feel better,” he said, before heading back into the kitchen.

I sighed and put my foot back into the water. After a deep breath, I climbed in and sat down as fast as possible. “Mother fucker! Shit! What the fuck!” I cried out, feeling the water completely freeze me to my bones.  _Warm water, my ass! It feels like the damn Arctic in here!_

            “How are you holding up?” Josh asked, as he walked back into the room holding two Tylenol and a glass of water.

            “I feel like I’m sitting in the middle of the South Pole,” I pouted. Josh laughed, handing me the water and Tylenol. I gratefully took them and finished the entire glass of water before handing it back to him. “Thank you for taking care of me,” I said.

            He sat on the edge of the tub and placed his hands on my shoulders, massaging the tense muscles. “You don’t have to thank me. I love you and I want to take care of you. I hate seeing you so sick,” he responded.

            “I love you, too,” I whispered back. I sat in the tub for another half hour while I had Josh tell me all about his day on set. Once my fingers were wrinkled and he was satisfied with my temperature, I got out of the tub and let him wrap me in my big, fluffy towel. “Mmmm you’re so warm,” I said, burying my face into his chest as his arms went around me.

            “Come on. Let’s get you into some nice, clean pajamas and put you back on the couch,” he said, planting a kiss on my nose. I quickly changed into some flannel pants and a t-shirt as Josh heated up some chicken soup for me that was in my pantry. Once I was comfortably settled on the couch, Josh brought me my soup. “So what movie do you want to watch first?”

            “The Holiday,” I said, without hesitation.

            His nose scrunched up in distaste. “Really? A chick flick?” he asked.

            “Hey, I’m the sick one. I always watch that movie when I’m sick. Besides, you said we could watch any movie I want,” I reminded him.

            “You’re absolutely right. I did and I will now sit through it because I love you and this movie makes you happy,” he said. He put the DVD into the player, turned the TV on, and sat down next to me on the couch. “You sure you don’t want to watch Fast and the Furious?”

            “I’d rather gouge my eyes out with a butter knife,” I said.

            “Fair enough,” he laughed, starting the movie. For the first fifteen minutes, I ate my soup, which soothed my sore throat and loosened the congestion in my chest, before cuddling up with Josh. The movie was only halfway over when my eyes began to droop. “Sleep, Sweetheart. You need all the rest you can get. I promise I’ll be here when you wake up,” he whispered.

            I smiled and let my eyes close, burrowing myself deeper into Josh’s arms. Sure, being sick sucked, but having Josh take care of me made it more bearable.


	3. Imagine Meeting Josh's Parents

            “Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign as we are beginning our descent into Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International airport. Please make sure your tray tables are up and locked and that your seats are secured in the upright position. We will be landing in twenty minutes,” the flight attendant informed us. I took a deep breath, leaning my head against the window and holding Josh’s hand a little tighter.

            “You okay?” he asked.

            “Yeah. Just nervous,” I responded. Josh and I had been dating for six months. We met at an awards ceremony after party and had been inseparable ever since. Both of us lived in Los Angeles, but his parents, brother, and the rest of his family lived in Kentucky. We were flying out to see them and I was nervous, as this would be the first time meeting them.

            “There’s no reason to be nervous. I told you, they’re going to love you,” he reassured me.

            “But, what if they don’t?” I asked, exasperated. I lifted my head away from the window and looked Josh in the eyes. “What if I say something stupid? What if they just generally don’t like my personality? What if…” Josh’s lips cut me off mid-sentence. I momentarily forgot my worries as his kiss sent me into a fantastic, pleasurable, haze. When he pulled back, I had to try and remember how to form words. “That’s not fair,” I said, breathlessly.

            “No more talk of nonsense. My parents are going to love you. Do you know how I know that?” he inquired.

            “How?”

            “Because I love you. My parents want to see me happy and you make me so happy. You’re smart, beautiful, polite, funny… I could go on, but there’s not enough time in the world to list all of the things that I love about you,” he said with conviction.

            I sighed, leaning my forehead against his shoulder. “I love you too. I’m sorry I’m being such a nutcase, but I’ve just never done this whole ‘meet the parents’ thing.” I confessed.

            “I understand that you’re nervous, but I promise you that I will not let go of your hand. I’ll be by your side the entire time and we’ll do this together,” he reassured me. Fifteen minutes later, our wheels touched down on the runway and we pulled up to the terminal. Josh’s parents had parked his Audi in the parking garage the night before so we could drive ourselves to the house without renting a car. After collecting our bags, we made it to his car and headed out to his parent’s house in Union.

            “How far are they from the airport?” I asked.

            “Twenty minutes. We’ll be there before you know it,” he replied. My palms started to sweat and I knew I was making a wrinkled mess out of the bottom of my shirt from holding onto it so tight. The butterflies in my stomach were going berserk and I felt like I would throw up if I opened my mouth. “Olive? You okay? The color just completely drained from your face.”

            “Yes,” I squeaked out. I was so scared. Josh loved his family and valued their opinion more than anything. I didn’t want his mom to hate me and tell me that I wasn’t good enough for her son. I didn’t want Josh to break up with me if his dad said I wasn’t a good match for him.

            “Sweetheart, take a deep breath and drink some water,” he instructed, handing me his bottle of water that was in the center console. “You’re honestly freaking out over nothing. Please don’t make yourself sick. I promise you that everything will be all right and go smoothly.”

            I took small sips of water and leaned my head back on the headrest. “I’m trying my best,” I said, weakly.

            Josh pried my hand away from my now extremely wrinkled shirt and brought it up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on the back of it before resting both of our hands on the armrest in the middle. For the next twenty minutes, I concentrated on the feel of his thumb rubbing comforting circles on the back of my hand. “We’re here,” he said, softly. We had pulled into the driveway of his parent’s home. It was absolutely beautiful and massive. Josh let go of my hand and got out of the car, but I didn’t move a muscle. He opened my door and kneeled down to my level. “Come on, Sweetheart. Like I said before, I will not leave your side or let go of your hand,” he promised.

            I unbuckled my seatbelt and let him help me out of the car. “Okay. I can do this,” I whispered more to myself than him.

            “We can get the luggage later,” he said. We were going to be staying here for a week in his old bedroom. I couldn’t believe his parents were letting us sleep in the same bed, but he said they were totally fine with it. We walked hand in hand up the walkway and Josh opened the front door, leading me inside. “Hello? Anyone here?” he called out.

            “Josh! You’re home!” A short woman with short blonde hair came down the hallway, a huge smile on her face.

            “Hi, mom,” he said, as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a huge hug.

            “Honey, I’m so glad you’re back! We’ve missed you so much!” she exclaimed, planting a big kiss on his cheek.

            “Missed you too, mom,” he replied. She stepped back and surveyed me with a smile. “Mom, this is my amazing girlfriend, Olive. Olive, this is my mom,” he introduced us.

            “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hutcherson,” I said, holding out the hand that wasn’t squeezing the life out of Josh’s fingers.

            “Oh none of that ‘Mrs. Hutcherson’ stuff. Call me Michelle,” she said, completely ignoring my hand and wrapping me into a giant hug. “I’m so glad I get to finally meet the woman who makes my son so happy,” she told me before letting me go. “Now come on you two. There’s plenty of food out and your father and brother are in the kitchen already stuffing their faces. Let’s go before they eat it all.”

            I felt myself relax a bit at Michelle’s light-heartedness. She was extremely nice and I was grateful.

            “See? Not bad at all,” Josh whispered to me.

            “Still haven’t met your dad and brother,” I whispered back. We entered the kitchen and saw Josh’s dad, and brother, Connor, eating chips and dip.

            “Will you two stop stuffing your faces long enough to say ‘hello?’” Michelle scolded.

            “Josh! Welcome home, buddy!” his father said, giving him a hug and a pat on the back. “And this must be the infamous Olive. Josh has told us so many good things about you,” he said, also giving me a hug.

            “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hutcherson,” I replied, blushing.

            “Call me Chris. Mr. Hutcherson sounds so… old,” he said with a smile.

I looked over to see Josh and Connor embracing in a brotherly hug.

“Connor, this is my girlfriend, Olive,” Josh said.

“Olive? Like the food?” he asked.

“Um, yeah,” I replied, lamely.

“Connor! Manners!” Michelle exclaimed.

He gave me a huge hug, making me almost fall backwards. “Josh told me that one day you’re going to be my sister. I hope so, because I’ve never seen him so happy and you’re really pretty!”

I laughed. “Thank you, Connor.”

“Boys? Why don’t you go get the luggage from the car?” Michelle suggested. Josh gave me a look as if to say “are you going to be okay alone?” I nodded with a smile as he, Chris, and Connor left the kitchen to go get our bags. “Josh sent us a few pictures of you and him and I thought you were absolutely beautiful. Now I know those pictures don’t do you justice. You’re an extremely beautiful girl and thank you for putting that spark of happiness in my son’s eyes. You make him smile bigger than anyone else,” Michelle told me, making me blush yet again.

“Thank you, Michelle. Josh is amazing and he makes me happy as well. You’ve raised an incredible man and you should be nothing but proud of him,” I said, truthfully.

“Oh I am proud of him. I’m so glad he found you,” she said, smiling. The men came back and Josh wrapped his arms around me.

“Okay?” he whispered in my ear.

“Better than okay,” I whispered back. We may have only been here for mere minutes, but I knew this week would be amazing and I knew that I would get along beautifully with his parents. I couldn’t thank Josh enough for having faith in me.


	4. Imagine Josh Punching a Guy in the Face for You

                “Whose idea was this again?” I asked, slipping my heels on my feet. They were already pinching my toes and I knew I’d be miserable for most of the night. Josh had been invited to a pre-Oscar bash and I was his date. It wasn’t the party I was dreading per say, it was the fact that I knew the place would be crawling with paparazzi, groupies, and a lot of stuck up celebrities. You’d be surprised how many celebrities were extremely nice to Josh, but acted as if I didn’t exist because I wasn’t famous. It was almost as if they thought Josh was “too good” for a “normal person.”

                “Come on. It’ll be fun! We can just sit in a corner with our friends, drink some champagne, and relax,” he insisted.

                “While a bunch of random girls who flashed their boobs to get into the party come rubbing themselves all over you as if I’m not sitting right next to you,” I finished for him.

                Josh shuddered. “The only person I want rubbing up against me is you. Only you,” he said.

                I stepped out of the walk in closet and did a little twirl for Josh, who was sitting on the bed. “So, what do you think?” I asked. My dress was a cobalt blue, sparkly, halter that came up to the middle of my thighs.

                Josh swallowed hard. “You look so sexy, Olive,” he whispered.

                “You’re not looking too bad yourself, Mr. Hutcherson,” I replied. He was wearing black jeans, a black button-up, and Converse. He pulled me down onto his lap, crashing his lips against mine. “Josh, we have to go,” I whispered, breathlessly.

                His kisses had not stopped, only moved down to my neck. “We have time. We’re allowed to be fashionably late,” he said, rolling me until my back was on the mattress and he was hovering over me. “Plus, I need you too much right now.”

                I couldn’t resist him if I tried. Twenty minutes later, I was straightening out my dress and fixing my hair while Josh zipped his fly up. “You might want to fix your hair as well. I must say, I did a number on it,” I told him.

                He stood next to me at the full length mirror. “I might just leave it. I kind of like it,” he said.

                I looked at him, aghast. “Josh you have severe sex hair! It’s sticking up in all directions!” I cried, attempting to flatten it for him.

                “Well that’s what happens when you have amazing sex. I don’t mind having people look at me and know that I make you feel so good that you pull my hair,” he said, cheekily.

                I slapped him playfully on the arm. “Enough of that, now let’s head out,” I insisted. Josh drove us to the party which was as I predicted, swarming with paparazzi on the outside. I kept my head down so the flashes wouldn’t blind me and held onto Josh’s hand. The party was being held at the Chateau Marmont so luckily there would be no cameras allowed inside.

                “Josh! Olive! There you guys are!” we heard Jennifer call from across the party. She came skipping up to us, her boyfriend, Nick, in tow. “What took you so long? We got a table!” she said, excitedly.

                “We were making a baby,” Josh said.

                I smacked him on the arm, this time, hard. “We were NOT making a baby!” I exclaimed.

                “Just practicing?” Jennifer asked with a giggle.

                “Of course. That’s the best part,” Josh answered while I blushed. We followed Jennifer and Nick to a somewhat secluded corner where Liam and Miley were sprawled out across the couches.

                “All right, they’re here. You can stop trying to save the spots now,” Jennifer said.

                “But I’m super comfortable,” Liam pouted.

                “Move your ass, mate, or I’ll move it for you,” Nick said with a grin.

                “All right, all right, we’re moving,” Miley said, jumping off her couch to sit next to Liam. We all sat down as Liam popped open the bottle of champagne that was on the table for us.

                “To The Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in its favor tomorrow night and win every category it’s in,” Liam toasted, making us all laugh.

                “Too bad it’s only up for the technical aspects. It should at least be up for best movie!” Jennifer exclaimed.

                I sipped the champagne, letting the sweet, dry taste roll over my tongue. “There’s always Catching Fire and Mockingjay,” I said.

                “Until then, at least let it win Best Cinematography,” Miley added.

                The night wore on in a blur of dancing, champagne, and laughs. Sure, random girls tried to make their way over to Josh as well as Liam and Nick, but they were all shut down in seconds, walking away sulking. The night was definitely turning out a lot better than I had anticipated.

                “I don’t know about you, but I really have to pee!” Jennifer whispered loudly to me.

                “Me too! Way too much champagne,” I replied.

                “The bathroom is calling our name, boys. Miley, you coming?” Jennifer asked.

                “I’m good! I’ll stay here and make sure our men don’t get into any trouble!” she said.

                “Hurry back, Gorgeous,” Josh murmured in my ear, placing a soft kiss on my neck. Jennifer grabbed my hand and led the way to the bathroom.

                “You and Josh are way too cute. You’re definitely getting a lot of death glares from girls who wish they were you,” Jennifer said while we touched up our makeup.

                “Let them glare all they want. At the end of the day, we love and only want each other. These other girls need to move on and find someone else.”

                “Well said. He’s lucky he has you through all of this.”

Jennifer and I exited the bathroom and made our way back over towards the table when a large hand wrapped around my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

                “Where are you going in such a rush, Sweet Pea?” I heard huskily in my ear.

                I turned and saw a creepy guy about twenty-five, staring at me. “Back to my table. Now let go of me,” I said, forcefully.

                “Why would you want to go back there when I’m right here?” he asked.

                “I don’t know you, nor do I want to know you, now let go of me,” I repeated.

                He stepped closer, squeezing tighter and pulling me into his body. “I’ve been staring at you all night. You’re so sexy. I’ve been wondering what you have on under your dress. Let’s find out, shall we?” he inquired, placing his hand on my thigh. I squirmed, panic taking over, but he held on even tighter. Tears sprang to my eyes as his hand moved further up.

                “Who the FUCK do you think you are?” I heard Josh yell.

                “Oh, relax buddy. See? The little slut likes it,” he jested, squeezing my thigh hard, making me whimper at the pain.

                Josh stepped towards us and without saying anything, pulled his right fist back and let it swing, hitting the creepy guy in the eye as hard as he could. The guy yelped and immediately let go of me, causing me to go stumbling into Josh’s arms. The people around us were gasping and clearing out, but I barely paid attention. I just held onto Josh as hard as I could, burying my face in his shoulder.

                “You touch her again and I’ll kill you,” Josh said, his voice filled with venom. Security came rushing over, helping the guy off the floor. “He sexually harassed my girlfriend,” he explained to one of them. “so I punched him.”

                “Don’t worry, Mr. Hutcherson. We’ll have him removed and banned from the premises,” the security guard assured him. Josh led me back over to the couches and sat me down.

                “Oh my God, what happened? I thought you were right behind me!” Jen exclaimed.

                Josh kneeled down in front of me and took my face in his hands, wiping my tears away with the pads of his thumbs. “Some creeper touched her inappropriately so I gave him a face full of my fist,” Josh explained.

                “Where is the bastard? Liam and I will finish him off. With our Brit and Aussie blood, he won’t know what hit him,” Nick said.

                “No need. Security took him out,” Josh told him, still not looking away from my eyes.

                “What a psycho! How did he even get into the party?” Miley questioned.

                “Olive, take deep breaths. You’re okay. He won’t touch you again. No one will ever touch you like that again especially if I’m there. If they do, they’re going to get more than a punch in the face, that’s for sure,” Josh assured me.

                “Thank you,” I whispered, pressing my lips against his.

                “I love you and I will always defend you.”

Knowing Josh always had my back was the best feeling in the world.


	5. Imagine Josh Barely Controlling Himself When He Finds Out People Have Been Hurting You

                “How do these girls find me?” I mumbled to myself, deleting yet another hate message from my Facebook. I was unsearchable, my profile was extremely private, and you couldn’t add me as a friend unless you had friends in common with me, yet a lot of girls had found my page and started to write me hate messages. I honestly didn’t care too much because I knew they were just jealous and I couldn’t take them seriously when they would write, “u betta watch ur back cuz im gonna kick ur azz.” Messages like that were just entertainment for my friends and me, but receiving death threats was scary.

                “Hey, Sweetheart,” Josh greeted, entering the kitchen. I quickly minimized Safari and gave him a big smile.

                “Hi!” I said, getting up to give him a kiss and a hug. Josh had been in meetings all day and tomorrow we were leaving for Chicago for The Hunger Games mall tour.

                “Missed you,” he whispered against my lips.

                “Missed you too,” I whispered back. After a long embrace, I let go and leaned against the counter. “How were your meetings?”

                “Boring. Just another run through of my crazy upcoming schedule. How was your day? Get any writing done?” he asked.

                “Sure did. Finished my article and sent it in to the editor,” I replied. “I also finished packing.”

                “I’m so glad you can work from anywhere so you can come with me. You’re the only one keeping me sane through all of this,” he said, resting his forehead against mine.

                “That’s what you do when you love someone. You keep them grounded,” I said.

                Josh smiled and kissed my nose. “So, what shall we have for dinner? Want to order in?” he asked.

                “Sure. Chinese?” I asked. Josh nodded. “Okay. I’m going to quickly change into something more comfortable. You can order on Seamless,” I said. I headed towards my bedroom and Josh sat down at the kitchen table to order food off of my computer. I changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top and headed back into the kitchen. Josh was sitting at my computer, his fists clenched tightly and a look of pure anger on his face. “Josh? You okay?” I asked, confused.

                He turned to look at me. “What is this?” he questioned, barely containing the rage in his voice. I was confused for a moment before going white as a ghost, a feeling of dread taking over. I’d never told Josh about the death threats and nasty messages I had been receiving from his “fans.” I also only minimized Safari instead of closing it out so of course he saw.

                “Josh, really, it’s no…” I started.

                “Don’t. Don’t say it’s no big deal,” he said, standing up and still staring intently at me.

                “Well what do you want me to say, Josh? Seriously, read half of them. They’re from a bunch of crazy teenagers who can barely type,” I told him, trying to defuse the situation.

                “I’m not talking about those ones. You’re receiving legitimate death threats and you’re not telling me?! Jesus Christ, some crazy girl is pretty much telling you she’s going to murder you in Chicago tomorrow! How is that not a big deal?!” He was yelling now and my bottom lip started to quiver.

                “Josh, please,” I begged, weakly.

                “No! What part of any of this do you think is okay?! How could you brush something off like this?! For all you know these girls could be crazy and really try and hurt you!” he exclaimed.

                “Josh, I’m not going to get hurt,” I whispered, tears coming to my eyes.

                “Oh great, so now you’re psychic,” he said, sarcastically.

                “I’m just saying, I’m not going to be by myself,” I explained.

                “How do you know that? You don’t. You could be doing something as simple as going to the bathroom and get attacked. How could you be so stupid?!” he yelled.

                It felt like he slapped me in the face. Not once had Josh ever called me “stupid” and that hurt more than anything. “Maybe I shouldn’t go with you, then. Maybe I’ll just wrap myself in bubble wrap and stay here, because I’m too  _stupid_  to take care of myself apparently,” I said, angrily.

                Josh’s face fell, a look of pure anguish crossing it. “Olive, no, that’s not what I meant,” he explained. “You know that I think you’re extremely smart, and I know that you can take care of yourself. I’m just… scared. The last thing in the world I want is for you to get hurt, especially by girls who call themselves my fans. I’d never forgive myself,” he said, sounding completely heartbroken.

                My anger dissipated and I sighed. “I didn’t want to worry you,” I whispered.

                Josh walked over to me and gathered me tightly in his arms. “I’m _always_  going to worry about you, no matter what. It’s my duty, as your boyfriend, to worry about you. I worry about you because I love you. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

                Tears spilled from my eyes, soaking his shirt. “I’m sorry,” I choked out.

                Josh held me even tighter, rubbing his hand up and down my back. “I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to take my anger at them out on you. Just please promise me you’ll tell me about these things. I hate it when other people hurt you. At least now that I know about it, we can take every precaution to make sure you’re safe,” he said. Josh slightly pulled away and held my face in his hands, wiping away my tears. “Please don’t cry. I hate seeing you so upset,” he pleaded.

                I hiccupped and took a deep breath, willing myself to calm down. “I promise I’ll let you know about every horrible message I get. No more secrets,” I swore.

                “Good. Now that that’s all settled, still in the mood for Chinese food and cuddling?” he asked.

                I giggled and nodded. “Always.”


	6. Imagine Having Birthday Sex with Josh

                “SURPRISE!”

                I screamed loudly, holding onto my heart as I looked around Josh and Andre’s house. Josh and I had just walked in the front door, and turned on the lights to see all my friends crowded into the living room with birthday decorations everywhere. “Oh my God! What the…” I started, but lost my thought as I looked at Josh.

                “Happy twenty-fifth birthday, Beautiful,” he said, smiling brightly.

                “You did all this?” I asked.

                “Of course he did! It’s your twenty-fifth! A milestone! You didn’t think he was just going to take you to dinner and that’d be the end of it, did you?” my best friend, Ali asked.

                “I didn’t expect a surprise party. This is amazing! Thank you!” I said to Josh, wrapping my arms around his neck and planting a huge kiss on his lips. My guy friends wolf-whistled and I gave them the finger.

                “All right, the birthday girl is here, so let’s get this party started! Bar is out in the back!” Andre announced before the music started up.

                “So are you surprised?” Josh asked.

                “Are you kidding? My heart is still pounding out of my chest. This is officially the best birthday ever,” I replied, kissing him once more.

                “All right, Olive. Time for you to take some birthday shots!” my friend, Hannah, called.

                “Lead the way!” I exclaimed. The party was definitely a huge success and the bar continued to flow steadily for the rest of the night. I, myself had consumed countless shots with my friends and my glass of rum and coke always seemed to have refilled itself.

                “I think my girl is a little drunk,” Josh whispered playfully in my ear. It was almost two o’clock in the morning and the party was dwindling down significantly.

                “Maybe a little,” I slurred out. “You know what happens when I get drunk,” I said, turning around to face him. I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my body close to his.

                “I am very aware what happens. I promise you that when the last person leaves we are going to do something about it,” he swore.

                “Good. I hope they leave soon because I’m about to rip your clothes off right now,” I murmured in his ear.

                Josh held me tighter and groaned. “God, Babe. You can’t say things like that to me when there are people around. It clouds my judgment.”

                “I like when your judgment is clouded,” I retorted.

                “Jesus. You’re naughty tonight, you know that?” he questioned. I giggled and he let go of me. “Go say goodbye to your friends and then wait upstairs in my room while I clean up a bit,” he instructed. He slapped my ass before walking away, leaving me standing there wanting him more than ever.

                “I’m so glad you had a good birthday, Olive! We need to get together this week sometime for lunch,” Ali said.

                “Absolutely. Let me know when you’re free and thank you so much for coming!” I exclaimed. I hugged her tight and she walked outside. I shut the door behind her and leaned my back against it.

                “All right, Olive. See you tomorrow,” Andre said, walking towards me with a duffle bag.

                “You’re leaving?” I asked, confused. “You live here, though.”

                Andre laughed. “Yeah, but I really do not want to hear you two going at it all night. Consider this a birthday present.”

                I giggled and Andre left, locking the door as he went. Now that it was just Josh and I alone in the house, I ran up to his room as fast as I could. After freshening up in the bathroom, I pulled my clothes off as fast as I could and got under the covers to wait for him. I started to doze off a little, but my eyes popped open when I heard footsteps on the stairs.

                “Not falling asleep on me, are you?” Josh asked from the doorway.

                “Nope,” I replied.

                Josh pulled shirt over his head and sat on the edge of the bed. “Good,” he whispered, leaning down and kissing me. I pulled him closer, opening my mouth to kiss him deeper. We made out for a few minutes before we were both anxious for more.

                “Why are you still wearing clothes?” I asked, breathlessly as he sucked on my pulse point.

                He stood up, kicked his shoes off, and removed the rest of his clothes as fast as he could. I swallowed hard seeing that he was already ready for me. “Better?” he asked, huskily. My mouth had gone completely dry so I nodded. Josh crawled onto the bed and pulled the covers back. “Looks like you’re as ready as I am,” he mused, surveying my naked body.

                “I don’t fuck around,” I said.

                Josh smirked and climbed on top of me, pressing every inch of himself against me. I gasped, feeling how hard he was. “I want you so bad,” he whispered, kissing me with everything he had.

                I was gasping for air when he pulled away, but his lips never left my skin. Lower and lower he went, stopping to pay special attention to my chest for a bit, before continuing down. I was a quivering mess as he reached the bottom of my stomach. “Please,” I begged, pitifully.

                Josh pulled my legs over his shoulders and I cried out when his mouth made contact with the most sensitive part of me. My fingers automatically threaded in his soft hair and my body started to thrash at the pleasurable sensations, but his hands firmly held my hips down. I had no idea what was coming out of my mouth, but I’m pretty sure it was extremely dirty because Josh’s grip on my hips tightened and he pulled me closer to his face.

                “More!” I pleaded. I was right on the edge and I just needed that little push to help me fall.

                “Mmmmm” Josh hummed, sending the vibrations whizzing through me. I cried out and fell over the edge, moaning his name over and over while shamelessly grinding myself against his mouth. As I came down to a boneless heap, Josh kept his ministrations up to draw out my orgasm as long as possible. When I became too sensitive, I jerked away, making him stop. Josh crawled up and laid beside me, pulling my sweating and trembling body into his arms.

                “You okay?” he whispered.

                “Okay? I’m more than okay. Okay is an understatement,” I breathed out with a laugh.

                Josh chuckled. “Good because I’m not done with you yet.”

                “I sure hope you’re not,” I said. Josh licked his lips before kissing me sweetly. I deepened it and pulled him back on top of me, cradling his hips between my thighs. He rubbed himself against me, making both of us moan. “Need you,” I whimpered.

                “Hold on,” he gasped, pulling away to reach inside his nightstand drawer. “Have to baby proof first,” he said, taking out a condom. I giggled at his use of “baby proof” as he put it on. “Now, where were we?”

                “Here,” I whispered, lifting my hips up to meet his. We both held our breath as he slid in, only breathing when he was fully inside. My nails dug lightly into his shoulders as I urged him to move. Our hips pulled and pushed with each other as we kissed with the same rhythm.

                “You always feel so good,” he whispered against my lips.

                The feeling of Josh moving within me never failed to set me on fire. It always felt good and I always begged for more. The pressure was building and we automatically moved faster and harder, trying to build it as much as possible. “Don’t stop! So close!” I cried.

                “Mmmm, me too! So good, Baby!” he exclaimed. My fingers grasped the headboard above me as I tried not to float away from all the pleasure. Josh’s hands joined mine, changing the angle of his thrusts and making me immediately orgasm. I cried out his name, pulsing and squeezing around him.

                “Fuck! Olive!” Josh cried, thrusting hard once and burying his face in my neck. We both laid there, catching our breath and clinging to each other in a post-orgasmic haze. Once we both stopped twitching and shuddering, Josh slowly pulled out and disposed of the condom in the bathroom. He jumped back into the bed and pulled the covers around us, holding me close. “I love you so much, Olive. Happy birthday,” he said sleepily.

                “I love you too. Thank you for everything. Definitely the best birthday ever,” I replied, just as sleepy. My last thought before I succumbed into Dreamland was that birthday sex with Josh was one of a kind amazing.


	7. Imagine Waking up from a Nightmare to Josh Comforting You and Wiping Away Your Tears

                “I want to break up,” Josh said, no emotion in his voice.

                “What? Why?” I asked, confused and heartbroken.

                “I just don’t love you anymore, Olive. I’m famous now and I want to go out and party and not have to worry about you nagging me,” he said, coldly.

                “Josh, you know that I never nag you. Why are you saying that? Why are you telling me you don’t love me anymore?” I questioned, now getting hysterical.

                “I’m telling you I don’t love you because it’s the truth,” he answered, speaking slowly as if he were talking to a child.

                “You just asked me to move in with you though! I sold my apartment! Where am I supposed to go?” I was crying now, my heart aching in my chest at his indifference towards the situation.

                “Well I take it back. It’s not my problem you have nowhere to go,” he replied with a shrug.

                “I have nothing. You’re all I have! Why are you doing this?”

                “Now you have no one and I told you why I’m doing this. I don’t love you anymore,” he annunciated.

                I collapsed to the floor, curling into myself. The pain was so great and it was taking over every inch of me. “Please,” I begged.

                “Get off the floor and get out. You’re making me sick,” Josh cruelly said to me. He gave me one last look of disgust before walking away.

                “Josh!” I cried out, sitting up, only I wasn’t at his house in California. I was disoriented and couldn’t remember where I was. “Josh!” I yelled again, my face dripping with tears. There was no answer and I tried to adjust my eyes to the dim light. “JOSH!” I screamed.

                I heard footsteps coming closer and the door swung open, Josh standing in the entrance looking worried. “Olive? You okay?” he asked, walking towards me. He sat down on the bed and I threw myself into his arms, openly sobbing. “Olive, what happened?!” he asked, frantically.

                “You didn’t love me anymore,” I sobbed into his shoulder. “You wanted me gone. You left me.”

                Josh held me tighter and kissed my temple. “Sweetheart, I love you so much and I would never leave you. You were having a nightmare,” he whispered.

                “It was so real. You told me you didn’t love me and to get out. You said you were too famous and you wanted to go out and party instead of being with me. You didn’t care that I had nowhere to go,” I explained, more tears falling from my eyes.

                Josh pulled back to look in my eyes. “None of that will ever happen,” he said with conviction. “You are my life. I don’t know what I would do without you. You’re it for me.”

                “I know, but it just… it felt real,” I said, pitifully.

                “Olive, we’re at my parent’s house in Kentucky. It’s Christmas Eve. You weren’t feeling well and were a little upset so you decided to lie down in my room. That’s real. Me leaving you will never be real,” he said, wiping the tears away from my cheeks.

                I sighed and nodded. “Maybe I’m having dreams like that because of everything that’s been going on,” I said quietly. My mother had died six years ago from cancer and my dad died two months ago from a heart attack. I officially had no family left.

                “Maybe. It could be your brain’s way of processing it all. It’s your first Christmas without either of your parents and you’re understandably upset. No wonder you’re having nightmares,” he said sadly.

                I bit my lip and nodded. “It’s really hard, but I feel better knowing that you’re by my side,” I confessed.

                “I’ll always be by your side, and I will  _always_ chase away your nightmares,” he promised. He kissed my nose once and then kissed my lips. “Do you want to come back upstairs?”

                “I look like crap,” I said, running my fingers through my hair.

                Josh shook his head. “You do not look like crap. You look beautiful,” he assured me.

                “You’re biased. Let me rinse my face first,” I said. We both got off of the bed and went into his personal bathroom. My eyes were red and my face was blotchy and tear streaked. “Ugh, I look awful.”

                “You don’t look awful. You look like you’ve been crying, but you don’t look awful,” Josh told me.

                “Same difference,” I said. I splashed some cool water on my cheeks and held my cold fingers to my eyes for a few moments, hoping the swelling would go down a bit. Of course, there was no such luck. “Now I have to face your parents looking like a mess,” I complained, patting my face dry with the hand towel.

                “Olive, they don’t care. They know you’re upset and they won’t judge you at all. They love you no matter what just like I do. They’re just worried about you. They heard you crying out for me before and they’ve noticed you haven’t really eaten much.”

                “I just don’t have an appetite. I swear I’m not going all anorexic or anything, it’s just my stomach is in knots and it makes me feel queasy,” I explained, starting to get worked up again. The last thing I wanted was for his parents to think I had an eating disorder on top of all the other things that were going on with me.

                Josh shushed me and pulled me back into his arms. My body immediately relaxed. “I know that, Olive. We’re all just worried about you. You’ve lost some weight and you definitely didn’t need to. We want you healthy. That’s all. We know it’s going to take time for you to feel even close to normal and that’s okay. We’re here for you,” he murmured soothingly. “How about we start small; can I make you a grilled cheese sandwich?” he asked.

                I giggled lightly and nodded. “Sure,” I answered.

                Josh smiled and kissed my forehead. “Hopefully having something in your stomach will help you sleep better and keep the nightmares away tonight. If not, at least I’ll be right beside you,” he said. We spent the night with the rest of his family and I almost felt like everything was normal in my life. That night, I wasn’t afraid to go to sleep because I knew no matter what, Josh would be there to chase away my bad dreams.


	8. Imagine Kissing Josh in a Summer Rainstorm

                  “Thank you for sitting down and talking with me, Avan,” I said. “This is going to be a great article.”

                  “No, thank you, Olive, for taking the time to get the word out there about the Straight, But Not Narrow campaign. I can’t wait to read it,” Avan said, shaking my hand. “So where are you off to on this lovely Los Angeles afternoon?”

                  “Well, I plan on going back to my hotel, typing up the interview, and then maybe grabbing a quick dinner before bed. Why?” I asked.

                  “I’m going out to dinner with my girlfriend, Zoey, and our friend, Josh. I was wondering if you’d like to join us. I know they’d love to hear about the article, especially Josh, since he’s very involved in the organization as well,” Avan said, innocently.

                  “That sounds like a double date,” I replied, accusingly. “A double blind date.”

                  Avan looked taken aback. “I promise it’s not. I swear I’m not trying to set you up.”

                  I stared at him for a moment before nodding slightly. “Okay. I’ll go,” I consented.

                  “Great!” he exclaimed. “How about Zoey and I pick you up at six? We’re going to Zengo in Santa Monica and it’s kind of a bitch to find parking. The less cars, the better. Josh is in meetings today so he’ll be meeting us there,” Avan explained.

                  I thought it was a little strange that he would be picking me up, but I really didn’t want to have to find parking in Santa Monica. “All right. I’m staying at the Ritz-Carlton on West Olympic Boulevard,” I told him.

                  “The Ritz? Very nice,” he said.

                  “Jobs paying for it. Thankfully they didn’t put me in some scary motel by the airport,” I shuddered.

                  Avan laughed. “Yeah they can be pretty scary. All right, Olive. Zoey and I will pick you up at six.”

                  “See you then.” I left the office building in Beverly Hills and headed back to my hotel in Downtown LA. I showered quickly, picked out a cute sundress, and got ready. By the time I was done with everything, it was two minutes to six. Avan and his girlfriend were already waiting for me in the lobby.

                  “Hey! Olive, this is my girlfriend, Zoey Deutch. Zoey, this is Olive Fairs. She’s a journalist for the New York Times and she interviewed me today about Straight, But Not Narrow,” he introduced us. I shook Zoey’s hand and smiled.

                  “Nice to meet you,” I greeted.

                  “You too. Avan told me all about the interview and even showed me a few of your articles. You’re a great writer,” she complimented.

                  “Thank you,” I replied.

                  “All right let’s head out. Josh is meeting us there at six thirty,” Avan said. The drive to Santa Monica took a little less than a half hour because of traffic. When we got there, we stood outside and chatted, waiting for Josh.

                  “There you are!” Avan exclaimed. I turned around and saw a guy about three inches taller than me walking towards us in a t-shirt, jeans, a hat pulled down mostly over his face, and aviators. He seemed kind of nervous and he kept looking over his shoulder. “What took you so long?” Avan asked as he finally made it to us.

                  “Had to circle the area a few times. I was being followed,” he mumbled. I looked at him, confused.  _Followed? What is he, a fugitive? A secret agent?_ “Let’s head inside,” he said. Avan spoke to the hostess who seated us all the way in the back. It was basically our own private area. Once we were all seated with menus in front of us, Josh finally removed his hat and glasses. _Oh, so THAT’S why he was being followed. Way to not tell me the Josh you were talking about is Josh Hutcherson, Avan._ “Sorry about that. Hey, Zoey,” he greeted her.

                  “Hey, Josh. Everything all right?” she asked.

                  “Yup. Perfect,” he answered before turning to me. He was sitting across from me next to Avan and I was sitting next to Zoey. “I’m so sorry about all of that. I hope I wasn’t rude. I’m Josh Hutcherson. You must be Olive Fairs,” he introduced himself, holding his hand out for me to shake. I took it and smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” I replied. “Now I get the whole hiding your face thing.”

                  Josh looked down sheepishly. “Yeah. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.” The waitress came to our table and took our drink orders and we looked over the menu before she came back to take our food orders.

                  “So, Josh. How were your meetings today?” Avan asked.

                  “Same old, same old. Just went over my filming schedule and what not,” he replied.

                  “When do you leave for Hawaii?” Zoey asked.

                  “Three weeks.”

                  “You’re going to Hawaii? Lucky,” I said.

                  “Yeah. I’ll be filming there for about two months,” he told me.

                  “I’m guessing the second Hunger Games movie,” I said.

                  Josh nodded. “So you’ve seen the first one,” he stated.

                  “I have. I was assigned to write an article on it for work.”

                  “Josh, Olive works for the New York Times. She’s the one who interviewed me today about Straight, But Not Narrow,” Avan said, although it was obvious Josh knew exactly who I was. I explained what I would be writing to Josh and Zoey and how I hoped to help spread the word about the cause. Our food came as did easy conversation. Most of the talking was done by Josh and myself. Avan and Zoey stayed quiet, staring intently at both of us, but would look away when I would look back at them. I was really confused until out of nowhere it hit me. I dropped my chopsticks, looking incredulously at Avan.

                  “You are such a liar!” I exclaimed.

                  Avan had the decency to look guilty while Josh looked confused.

                  “Olive, I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t help it! I was talking to you and I just knew you’d hit it off with him. I knew you’d decline if you thought I was setting you up on a date, so I kind of made it under a business pre-tense,” he explained.

                  I was completely furious and most of all, humiliated. I barely knew Avan and there he was, setting me up on a date and lying about it? And a date with Josh Hutcherson, no less!

                  “Wait, what?” Josh asked, confused.

                  “Olive, please,” Zoey whispered, desperately.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bag. I threw enough money on the table to cover my portion of the bill and tip before standing up. “I’m leaving. I should have known better. Josh, Zoey, it was very nice to meet you. Avan, I’ll send you the article when it’s done,” I said before storming out of the restaurant.

“Olive! Wait up!” I heard Josh yell from behind me.

I spun around and looked at him with fire in my eyes. “Tell me the truth. Did you know that this was a date?” I asked.

“Well, yeah,” he admitted. I scoffed and started walking away again. “But, I didn’t know that you didn’t!” he exclaimed, following me.

I turned around again and looked him straight in the eyes. He was telling the truth. “What did Avan tell you?”

“He told me that he met with you today and that you were beautiful, smart, and exactly my type. He said he asked you if you’d want to come out on a double date and you agreed. I swear to God I had no idea he lured you here under false pretenses,” he admitted.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “Okay. I had a great time and it was very nice to meet you, but I really have to catch a cab back to my hotel. No wonder why Avan insisted on picking me up. He wanted to strand me here,” I mumbled.

Josh laughed. “Yeah, sounds like Avan. Look, I have my car. Why don’t I drive you back?” he offered.

I shook my head. “No, that’s okay. You can go back to your friends,” I said.

“Really, I insist. I honestly don’t want to go back in there. They’re probably making out as we speak,” he said, making me giggle. “Look, it’s still early. Why don’t we do something? Just the two of us. We won’t have Avan and Zoey breathing down our necks this time. Plus, I really enjoy talking to you and I want to get to know you better.”

I started at him for a moment, biting my lip. “Okay. Let’s do something.”

Josh smiled. “Let’s go down to the pier. We can grab some food down there since we ran out on our dinner and then maybe get some cotton candy, play some games, and ride some rides at Pacific Park.”

“Sounds great,” I agreed. Josh and I walked side by side down to the Santa Monica Pier, talking and laughing with each other. He told me all about his family and life back in Kentucky and I told him about growing up and living in New York City. He told me funny stories about things that happened on some of the sets he was shooting movies on and I told him about my college years at Columbia University. He would be turning twenty in October and I had turned twenty-five in April. Neither one of us was bothered by the age difference since we were both on the same wavelength and we got along really well.

“So, I was thinking we grab something to eat at Rusty’s Surf Ranch and then go ride some rides. Does that sound good?” he questioned.

“That sounds perfect. Lead the way,” I said. Josh and I had an amazing time. We chowed down on nachos and burgers while listening to the band they had playing. After getting our fill at Rusty’s, we headed into Pacific Park and had a blast riding the Pacific Wheel, the West Coaster, Inkie’s Scrambler, and the Pacific Plunge. We played games and Josh won me a stuffed tiger I affectionately named Hubert. Josh was of course recognized, but it wasn’t as crazy as I thought it’d be. He took time to sign autographs and take pictures with his fans and I thought it was incredibly sweet. A few paparazzi snapped our photo, but Josh kindly asked them to let us have a quiet night after agreeing to take a few shots and sign a few autographs for them.

“Now THAT was a great first date,” Josh said as we stood at the end of the pier. The moon was full in the sky and reflecting off of the Pacific Ocean. We stood side by side, arms touching, as we leaned over the railing, staring out into the water.

“Yes, it was. I’m actually really glad I went storming out of that restaurant,” I giggled.

“Me too. Even though it was wrong, I am glad Avan lied to you. Otherwise, none of this would have happened.”

“I guess I’m going to have to thank him,” I said.

Josh and I looked at each other and I smiled shyly. “Come on. Let’s head back to the car,” he said. I looked at him sadly, not wanting the night to end. “If you want, we can head back to my place. I live in the valley so it’s in the opposite direction from your hotel, but I don’t mind driving you back later. It’s still kind of early,” he suggested. I didn’t want the night to end, but I didn’t want to go have a one night stand with Josh either. He saw the look on my face and smiled. “I don’t mean come back to my place for sex. I just don’t want to stop spending time with you,” he assured me. “Unless you want to have sex then I am definitely cool with that, too,” he joked and I hit him on the arm, laughing.

“You’re bad, Josh Hutcherson,” I whispered. We were nearing the start of the pier when out of nowhere, it started to downpour.

“Run!” Josh yelled. He grabbed my hand and we started to run back to Zengo where his car was parked.

“My feet are slipping out of my sandals!” I screamed over the rain and the now rumbling thunder.

Josh stopped and squatted. “Jump on my back,” he said. I did as he said and he took off. We were both laughing as I held on, locking my legs around his middle and my arms around his neck. My purse was still on my shoulder and I was still gripping on to Hubert, who was now soaked through. Once we got back to his car, he set me down. The rain was still coming down in buckets, but neither one of us cared. I leaned back against the passenger side door and Josh stood in front of me, placing his hands on the roof of the car on either side of my head. He was breathing heavily and his shirt was soaking wet, sticking to him and letting me see his perfectly sculpted torso. Rain droplets were running down his face and his hair was matted to his forehead.

“Josh,” I whispered.

He leaned forward and captured my lips with his. My hands immediately went around his waist and his went into my hair, pulling me closer. We kissed passionately, our wet bodies pressed together and our tongues battling for dominance. It didn’t matter that we were standing in a parking lot out in the open. At that moment, we were the only two people in the world. A bolt of lightning striking loudly across the street brought us back down to earth and we pulled away. “We should get going,” he said.

“We’re going to get your seats all wet!” I exclaimed.

“I have beach towels in the backseat for when I go surfing. We can sit on those,” he said. Josh quickly grabbed the towels, handing one to me before opening the passenger side door. I laid the towel on the seat as fast as I could, jumping in so Josh could shut the door. He ran around to the driver’s side and hopped in after he laid the towel down on his seat. He started the car and I cried out as the air conditioning came on full blast. “Sorry!” Josh exclaimed, turning it off.

“It’s so cold!” I was shivering and my teeth were chattering. Josh turned the heat on for us and we pulled out of the parking lot, heading towards the San Fernando Valley.

“Oh no! Hubert is ruined,” I said sadly, showing Josh a completely wet Hubert.

“Poor Hubert. I guess I’m going to have to win you another one,” he replied. I smiled at the thought of Josh taking me back to the pier and winning me another stuffed animal. It took us a little longer to get to his place since it didn’t stop pouring rain for a second, but we made easy conversation the entire way. “Well, here we are,” he said, pulling up to a modest ranch. Through the rain I could see lights coming off the house.

“Are those Christmas lights?” I asked.

“They most certainly are. Purple Christmas lights. I feel like they set the mood,” he said. I laughed and we both made a run for the house, getting completely soaking wet again. Once under cover on his porch, Josh looked for his house key on his keychain.

“A couch?” I asked, seeing a nice sofa under his the front window on the porch.

“Yes, ma’am. I told you I’m from Kentucky. It’s the redneck in me,” he said, unlocking the front door. We both stepped inside, standing in the foyer and removing our shoes. Josh shut and locked the front door and had me follow him to the bathroom. “Wait here,” he instructed. A few minutes later, he came back with a t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. “I swear they’re clean, but they might be a bit big on you. I’ll throw your clothes in the dryer.”

“Thank you,” I said. I quickly changed into Josh’s clothes and they were definitely big on me, but they smelled like him so I was happy. I took my brush out of my bag and ran it through my wet hair before picking my wet dress up and exiting the bathroom. Josh took me to the laundry room where he stripped down to his boxer briefs and threw our clothes into the dryer. I couldn’t help but stare at his perfect almost naked body.

“I’m going to go put some clothes on,” he said.

“You don’t have to,” I heard myself say, before slapping my hand over my mouth.  _Holy shit I did NOT just say that. Make the words go back in!_

Josh looked at me with surprise and then smirked. “Really?” he asked, stepping closer towards me. I gulped and was about to say something when his lips planted themselves on mine. We furiously made out, grasping each other wherever we could reach. Josh had backed me up so my back was against the wall, my leg hitched around his waist, and his hand reaching under my shirt. I was moaning and shamelessly grinding myself against him.  _To hell with the whole not sleeping with him tonight._  “Jesus. Olive, we have to stop,” he panted, squeezing my breast and plunging his tongue in my mouth. My hands were about to rip his boxer briefs down when he pulled away.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, completely out of breath.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong. I want you so bad I feel like I’m going to explode, but I really like you. A lot. I want to do this properly. I want to take you out on more dates and bring you flowers. I want to take things slow and really get to know you. I don’t want to fuck you in my laundry room the first time,” he explained.

“Maybe the second time,” I said, half joking half serious.

“Absolutely,” he said, with conviction. Both of us laughed and Josh went to put on a t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. When he came back, he led us back outside to his porch. “Shall we sit and watch the rain?” he asked.

“I have a better idea,” I said, pulling his hand and taking us both out into the rain.

“But we just put dry clothes on!” he protested.

“You have a bedroom full of dry clothes,” I reminded him, pulling him closer to me. His arms automatically went around my waist and he rested his forehead against mine. “There’s nothing more romantic than kissing in the rain,” I whispered, leaning in and doing just that.


	9. Imagine You're Staring at your Swollen Belly, Almost Ready to have Yours and Josh's Kid

                I grimaced as I saw and felt my stomach completely move for a few minutes before finally settling down. I was thirty six weeks pregnant and about to burst.

                “She officially ran out of room,” I commented.

                “I think she stretched her whole body out that time,” Josh said, completely fascinated. Our first child, a girl we were naming Eloise Amelia Hutcherson, was due soon and we were both excited. I couldn’t wait to meet her, but I was also extremely excited to not be pregnant anymore. It was the middle of August and stifling hot out, making me beyond uncomfortable.

                “Her head is using my bladder as a pillow,” I groaned, getting up to use the bathroom for the third time that morning and it was only ten thirty. After washing my hands, I waddled back to bed, lying next to Josh so that my belly was between us. “I can’t wait for this to be over.”

                Josh gave me a sympathetic look. “I know, Sweetheart. I wish there was something I could do to make this easier for you. I feel like such an invalid knowing you’re doing all the work.”

                “Well you can make it up to me by doing the midnight feedings and diaper changes while I catch up on the sleep that I’ve lost in the past three months,” I said.

                Josh smiled. “Of course. It’s the least I could do.”

                I grimaced again as she moved and Josh put his hands on my stomach. “It’s Saturday. Why is she so active? She should sleep in,” I complained.

“She’s ready to come out, aren’t you baby girl?” he asked my stomach. She pushed back against his hand and he smiled proudly.

“Not even out of the womb and she’s already a daddy’s girl,” I mused.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, leaning forward to kiss me. I pulled away when his hands started to wander and he sighed in frustration. “Come on, Olive. What’s the problem?” he asked.

“I already told you,” I whispered.

“You told me you looked like a whale. Well, I’m here to tell you that you look _nothing_  like a whale. You look so beautiful, so sexy,” he said.

I gave him a disbelieving look. “Josh, look at me. I can barely roll over. I look like I swallowed a beach ball. My stomach is huge!”

Josh moved down the bed so his face was in line with my stomach. “Any why is your stomach so huge?” he questioned.

I sighed. “Because there’s a baby in it,” I mumbled.

“That’s right. Our baby. Our beautiful baby Eloise,” he said, lifting my shirt and placing kisses on the exposed skin. I giggled at the tickling sensation which made the baby move around like crazy. “Your mama is crazy, Ellie. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world, but she doesn’t believe it.” Josh started to kiss lower and I squirmed away.

“I can’t,” I said, painfully.

Josh crawled back up towards me and looked me in the eyes. “You can. I don’t know why you keep pushing me away. Are you in pain?” he asked.

“My back is killing me and my bladder is a twenty-four seven trampoline,” I replied.

“We can get in any position that is least painful for you. The doctor said it’s perfectly fine and that it may even help you go into labor. Besides, no matter how hard you try to hide it, I know you’re just as horny as I am,” he said knowingly.

I blushed and bit my lip. He was completely right about that. We hadn’t had sex in over two weeks and my hormones were going crazy. “I  _do_  want you. I guess this whole being a giant pregnant lady thing freaks me out,” I admitted.

“No need to worry about that with me,” he whispered, pressing himself up against me so I could feel how hard he was. “I’ll  _always_  want you and like I said before, maybe it could help you go into labor.”

“Okay,” I consented. Josh and I made love and it turns out, it was exactly what I needed. “She seems less agitated,” I commented, rubbing my hand over my stomach.

“Happy mother, happy baby,” he said, grasping my hand in his. We were both sated and enjoying the quiet moment while spooning on our bed.

“I have you to thank for that. You know how to calm me down. You’ll be perfect at calming Ellie down as well.”

“I hope so,” he said.

“Trust me. You’ll be a lot better at this parenting thing than I will,” I admitted.

Josh rolled me over to face him. “Why do you say that?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never really been the maternal type. I don’t really know how to handle a baby.”

“Olive, we’re in this together. This is our first child. We’re bound to make mistakes, but we’re going to learn together. I promise you that everything will turn out fine. She already has two parents that love her to pieces. She’ll have a very loving and happy life,” he said.

“I hope so,” I whispered.

“I know so,” he said with conviction. The two of us laid there for the next two hours, talking over our fears about becoming parents. Throughout those two hours, I started to feel cramping, but nothing too bad.

“I need to get up,” I said. “My back is absolutely killing me.” I got out of the bed, stretched my back out, and walked over to the mirror. I examined my stomach critically as another cramp came along, this time stronger. I pressed my hands to my hardened bump and scrunched my eyebrows.

Josh came up behind me and put his arms around me. “You’re going to be a great mother,” he whispered, kissing my ear.

“Well, we’re going to find out a lot sooner than later,” I said, turning to face him.

Josh looked at me, confused. “What do you mean?”

“You were right. The sex was definitely beneficial because I’m pretty sure I’m in labor,” I told him.

“Really?” he asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

“I’ve been having what I thought was Braxton Hicks contractions for the past two hours, but they’re way too regular and they’re getting stronger. Are you ready to meet your daughter, daddy?” I asked him.

“More than anything,” He replied, his lips capturing mine.


	10. Imagine You and Josh Getting Into a Huge Fight

                “Olive, I thought you were going to start telling me when you were being threatened! I don’t understand why you’re keeping things like this from me!” Josh yelled.

                “Look, Josh, you have enough on your plate. The last thing in the world you need to worry about is what other people are saying to me,” I replied, trying to stay calm.

                “Jesus fucking Christ! When are you going to get it through that thick skull of yours that I love you and no matter what, I’m going to worry about you!”

                I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I know you worry about me just as much as I worry about you. I love you so much. You have a lot going on at the moment and I don’t think your fans saying some mean things to me is that big of a deal. They love you,” I shrugged.

                Josh scoffed. “They don’t love me. If they loved me they would support me and not threaten the woman I love.”

                “But they’re fans of the series. I don’t want you to say something to them and have a bunch of people hate you,” I whispered.

                Josh looked incredulous. “You’re fucking kidding me, right? Do you honestly think I care what a bunch of girl’s who don’t support me think about me? I have no problem letting them have a piece of my mind. I will defend you to the end of the earth. I just don’t understand why you won’t defend yourself!”

                Now, I was angry. “Do you really think I’m that stupid and naïve that I don’t defend myself? You think I just sit back and let them say whatever they want to me? I don’t! I do tell them to go fuck themselves and I have no problem with it! I don’t need you to fight my battles for me especially against girls that are obsessed with you! I’d rather have them hear it come from me than from you and give you bad press. I’m looking out for you here!” I yelled.

                “I don’t give a shit about bad press! I look like a complete douche of a boyfriend when I get asked about some of my so called fans verbally assaulting you and I have no clue what they’re talking about! It honestly hurts me that you’re keeping secrets from me!” Josh was absolutely furious, his knuckles white from his clenching fists.

                “I don’t mean to ‘keep secrets’ from you or hurt you! I’m just taking care of myself and I don’t want to spend our time together talking about things like that!” I reasoned.

                He shook his head. “This is a relationship, Olive. We’re supposed to deal with the good and the bad, together. Maybe you shouldn’t be in one if you can’t handle that,” he spat.

                My face immediately fell.  _Did he just suggest we breakup?_  Just thought of not being with him caused a sob to rip through my chest and tears to fall from my eyes.

                Josh, realizing what he had said, immediately looked heartbroken. “Olive…” he whispered.

                I shook my head. “I need… I can’t…” I started, still sobbing. I went to walk around him, but I felt his hand enclose around my bicep. I tried to pull away, but he just held on tighter, pulling me towards him. I shook my head. “No,” I said pitifully.

                “Olive, please,” he said, brokenly. No matter how hard I struggled, Josh didn’t let go, only held me tighter. I eventually wore myself out trying to fight him and just collapsed against him in a crying heap. I let him hold me close and comfort me. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that. I swear I didn’t. I love you so much,” Josh whispered over and over. After I had cried myself out, I didn’t remove myself from his arms. “Come on. Let’s sit down and talk. No more fighting and absolutely no talk of breaking up,” he promised.

                I let him lead me over to the couch and we sat down. “Why did you say that?” I asked, my voice hoarse from crying.

                Josh looked torn apart. “I was just so frustrated. I swear to you that I didn’t mean it. The last thing in the world I want is you out of my life.”

                “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I know I promised you I would, but you have so much going on that I just handled it myself,” I explained.

                “I get that. I don’t care if you want to handle things yourself, Olive. You’re strong and independent and I absolutely love that about you. I don’t want to fight your battles for you, but I do want to know when you’re fighting them. We’re partners. I want to know what’s going on in your life just like I’m sure you want to know what’s going on in mine,” he said.

                “Josh, if it was really bad, you know I would tell you. A few comments at your premieres and public appearances isn’t exactly something I never thought I’d have to deal with. You’re amazing and I understand why these girls are jealous, but you’re right. If they really cared, they’d support you. I’ve even said that to them, but they don’t want to hear it from the person they hate for no reason, so they lash out,” I told him.

                “I hate it. I hate that they’re deliberately hurting you. It’s hurting me too. I can’t just let this slide, Olive. I have to say something,” he said.

                “What are you going to do?”

                “Whatever I have to. I’ll tweet about it. I’ll talk about it in interviews. Anything to get the point across that it’s not okay to do this to you. I’m scared that it’s going to get worse and possibly strain our relationship. I don’t want that to happen.” Josh looked like he was about to cry, so I sat on his lap and wrapped my arms around him.

                “I don’t want that to happen, either. I don’t want anyone coming between us. I’m just as scared as you are,” I admitted.

                “We’re going to get through this. We’ll be strong for each other, okay?” he question.

                I nodded. “Okay,” I agreed. Josh kissed me and I knew that no one would ever break us.  


	11. Imagine Your Parents are Fighting and You Run to Your Best Friend, Josh

             _Now I remember why I moved as far away as possible._ The fighting between my parents has always been bad, especially when my father has had a few drinks. They were in the middle of a shouting match downstairs and not even my iPod could drown them out. I didn’t know what they were fighting about and I honestly didn’t care. I wished they would just get a divorce and stop making themselves and me miserable. Too bad my mother was absolutely terrified he’d kill her if she tried to leave him.

            I sighed and stared up at the ceiling, wishing I was back at my place in California instead of at my parent’s in Kentucky. I was back for the holidays, but I knew that I should have just never come back. I lived in Los Angeles with my best friend since birth, Josh, and our friend Andre. Josh had moved out to California when we were younger to pursue acting. As soon as I finished high school, I joined him out there and never looked back. Josh was home for the holidays as well so he was luckily just right down the street.

            I heard a blood curdling scream from downstairs and immediately jumped out of my bed. I ran as fast as I could down the stairs to find my mother on the kitchen floor, my father standing over her with his fist raised. I was completely shocked. They may fight all the time, but my father never raised a hand to her. He struck her and before I could stop myself, I jumped on his back, trying to stop him from doing it again.

            “GET OFF OF ME YOU STUPID GIRL!” he thundered, throwing me down on the ground as well. Before I could react, the back of his hand made contact with my cheek hard enough that I saw stars.

            “NO! DON’T YOU TOUCH HER!” My mother shouted, getting up and shoving my dad into the counter. He scrambled to get his footing, but before he could retaliate, my mother grabbed a frying pan and hit him across the face with it, effectively knocking him out. I sat there in shock, my cheek in so much pain that it made me feel dizzy. My mother looked over at me, breathing heavily. “Go,” she said. “I’ll take care of him.”

            “W-what are you g-going to do?” I stuttered out.

            “I’m not going to kill him, if that’s what you’re wondering,” she said. “Go. Stay at Josh’s. I don’t want you here when he wakes up.”

            I got up, stumbling and holding my cheek. I didn’t bother grabbing a coat, I just ran outside in the pouring rain and down the street. Josh‘s house was only four houses away and it was lit up beautifully with Christmas lights. His parent’s car was missing from the driveway, but his was there. I was completely soaked and freezing by the time I was frantically ringing his doorbell.

            The door swung open and there stood Josh in flannel pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt in the dimly lit foyer. “Olive? You okay?” he asked. I shook my head and he pulled me inside. “Jesus, you’re freezing! What are you doing out there with no coat or umbrella?”

            “I h-had t-to l-leave,” I stuttered out through my chattering teeth.

            “Come on, let’s get you into something warm,” he said, leading me down to his bedroom. He turned the light on and walked into his closet. I stared down at my feet, letting my wet hair curtain my face. “Here, put these on.” He held out a pair of flannel pants just like the ones he was wearing and a black t-shirt.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, not making eye contact as I headed into his bathroom, shutting the door. I undressed and took a towel out of the linen closet, drying myself off before putting on Josh’s clothes that were about four sizes too big for me. I looked at myself in the mirror and winced. I had a huge welt on my right cheek and my eye was swollen. Josh hadn’t gotten a good look at me yet, but I knew when he did, he would be furious. I ran his brush through my hair and exited the bathroom, holding my wet clothes and still not looking at him.

            “Let’s throw those in the dryer,” he suggested. I followed him out of his room and we headed into the laundry room. Josh put my clothes in the dryer and set it to run for an hour. “Olive, look at me,” he said. I took a deep breath and slowly lifted my head. Josh gasped before I even had it up all the way and grabbed my chin, pulling it upwards and to the side so he could look at my face. “What the hell?!”

            “Josh,” I whispered, trying to pull my face out of his grasp.

            “Who did this to you?!” Josh demanded. “Was it your dad? I’ll fucking kill him, Olive, I swear to God. If he laid one finger on you I’ll grab my gun and go over there and shoot him in the fucking face!”

            Just as I suspected, Josh was in a rage. I’d never seen him so angry. “Josh, there’s no need for that,” I begged.

            “Olive, he hit you! Your eye is almost swollen shut!” he exclaimed.

            “He hit my mom first. I tried to stop him, but he threw me to the ground and hit me. Before he could do it again, my mom shoved him and knocked him out with a frying pan,” I explained. “She told me to leave and that she’d take care of it.”

            “You’re not staying there. We’re getting your stuff tomorrow and you’re staying here until we head back to California. I will not leave you in that house with him,” he said.

            “What about my mom?” I asked.

            “If your mom knew what was good for her, she’d leave him. She’s a grown woman and she can make her own decisions,” Josh said, angrily.

            I nodded, completely agreeing with him. “Okay.”

            Josh sighed. “Come on. Let’s go put some ice on that,” he said. We went upstairs into the kitchen and he grabbed an icepack from the freezer, holding it over my eye and cheek.

            “Where are your parents and Connor?” I asked.

            “At my grandparents. I was tired from travelling so I decided to stay here and just relax,” he answered. I nodded and winced at the stinging it caused against the icepack. “Jesus, Olive,” he whispered, sounding extremely upset. “I hate that he hurt you. I hate seeing you in so much pain.”

            “I hate him,” I said.

            “I hate him, too. I can’t believe he hit you. I know your dad has always had a temper, but he’s never hit you before. Has he?” he asked, sounding like he was in pain.

            “No. This is the first time.”

            “And the last time. He will not lay a finger on this beautiful face again,” he said with conviction.

            I blushed. “Beautiful?” I questioned.

            Josh nodded. “Yes, beautiful.” We sat in his kitchen as he held the ice on my face for fifteen minutes, before slowly pulling it off. “Well, the swelling went down, but you’re going to bruise,” he winced.

            “Good thing for makeup,” I said.

            “You shouldn’t have to cover up a black eye with makeup. You shouldn’t have been hit in the first place.”

            “I know, Josh, but it happened.”

            Josh got up and put the icepack back in the fridge. “Want some hot chocolate?” he asked, changing the subject.

            I was still freezing and I wanted something to warm me up. “Sure. Hot chocolate sounds good.”

            Josh filled the tea kettle with water and set it on the stove to boil. He pulled me into his arms while we waited, doing his best to keep me warm with his body heat. I pressed my face into the crook of his neck and he jumped. “Your nose is freezing!” he exclaimed.

            I giggled and looked up at him. “Well, there was just an icepack on my face,” I reasoned.

            Josh laughed and rubbed his nose against mine. “My nose will keep your nose warm,” he said. He rubbed his nose against mine again and this time, our lips brushed. Both of us froze, not breathing or saying a word. After a minute, Josh fully pressed his lips against mine, kissing me softly. I kissed him back, feeling my stomach stir with butterflies. This was the first time we’ve ever kissed and only the third time I’ve ever kissed someone. I was always too busy trying to get out of Kentucky to have time for boys.

Josh pressed me back against the counter and deepened the kiss. I tentatively opened my mouth and let our tongues meet. Josh moaned into my mouth and held me closer. My entire body felt like it was on fire. I never thought kissing Josh would evoke such strong feelings in me. We were brought back down to reality by the whistling of the kettle, signaling that the water was hot. Josh pulled away and stared at me. “I don’t want to stop,” he confessed.

            “I don’t want to stop either,” I said, completely out of breath. We stepped away from each other and Josh made us hot chocolate in silence. He added lots of marshmallows into both mugs and we went into the living room.

            “Movie?” he asked.

            “Sure,” I replied awkwardly.

Josh put Tropic Thunder in and joined me on the couch. “Olive, I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable in the kitchen,” he said. “I’ve just wanted to do that since we were fifteen.”

“Fifteen? But you were dating Shannon at the time,” I said, shocked.

Josh shrugged. “Didn’t matter. You’ve always been my number one.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” I asked.

“Because we’re best friends and I didn’t want to ruin anything between us or lose you if something were to happen,” he admitted, quietly.

I sat for a moment, drinking my hot chocolate and processing everything. “Fifteen, huh?”

Josh nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well, you beat me, but not by much. I’ve been wanting to do that since we were sixteen,” I told him.

Josh looked at me in surprise. “You mean you’ve had a crush on me since we were sixteen?”

“Yeah, but like you said, we’re best friends. I didn’t want to ruin what we had. I would be devastated if I lost you so I just told myself that I’d rather have you as my friend than not have you in my life at all.”

Josh bit his lip. “Do you think… maybe we could try it? Being more than just friends?” he asked nervously.

“I don’t see why not. I mean, we both know how we feel about each other, but first sign of this not working, we forget the whole thing and we go back to being what we always were,” I said.

“Deal,” Josh agreed. He leaned over and sealed our deal with a hot chocolate flavored kiss. Once we were both done with our drinks, Josh took our mugs into the kitchen and then joined me again on the couch, cuddling and wrapping us both in a big, warm blanket. He was lying on his back and I was lying on top of him, my head on his chest. I yawned widely and Josh ran his fingers through my hair. “Sleep, Olive,” he whispered and I let myself drift off into dreamland.

“Chris, look at them! They look so cute!” I heard Josh’s mom whisper, partially bringing me out of sleep.

“Should we wake them?” I heard his dad ask. Josh stirred slightly at the voices and pulled me tighter to him. I was glad it was dark in the room so his parents couldn’t see my cheek and eye. That could wait until the morning when I wasn’t too tired to explain everything.

“Absolutely not!” she responded. “They look so in love.”

“They are so in love. You think they’ll actually tell each other any time soon?” his dad wondered.

I almost smiled, thinking about how we already had.

“Of course. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was any day now. You see the way they look at each other,” she replied.

“Come on, let’s go up to bed,” Chris whispered. The TV turned off and I could hear their footsteps trailing off as they headed up to bed. I smiled to myself and cuddled deeper into Josh’s chest, knowing there was no place else I’d rather be.


	12. Imagine You and Josh Doing It in a Bathroom Stall

                  “Oh, look! Mini cupcakes with the Mockingjay pin on them!” I said excitedly. Josh and I were currently at The Hunger Games premiere after party. I had just seen the movie for the first time and I absolutely loved it. I was extremely proud of him.

                  “Let’s grab a few. I’m starving!” he exclaimed.

                  I grabbed three cupcakes; two for him and one for me, and we headed back over to our table where his family and friends were sitting.

                  “How does the buffet look?” his mom, Michelle, asked.

                  “Really good! Eating only In-N-Out all day wasn’t such a great move. I thought my stomach was going to start eating itself earlier,” I replied.

                  Michelle laughed. “Well the line looks pretty crazy at the moment so I think I’ll wait it out. I just hope there’s something left when I get there.”

                  “There will be. I’m sure they have plenty of food for replenishing,” Josh said, taking a bite of lamb stew with dried plums. The caterers had made Hunger Games inspired food and alcoholic beverages for the party. I was currently sipping on an Effie inspired fruity cocktail which was delicious. “You know, when I was reading the books and they were describing how good the food was, it always made me hungry. I’ve got to say, whoever made this lamb stew, hit it spot on. It’s awesome!”

                  “It looks good,” I replied. Josh and I had gotten some of everything and were sharing it. I was currently eating chicken in an orange sauce. Josh leaned forward to kiss me, letting me taste the sweet plums on his lips. “Mmmm delicious,” I said.

                  “Ew. If you two are going to start making out in front of all of us, I’m out of here!” Connor exclaimed. The whole table laughed and Josh rolled his eyes.

                  “Oh, Connor. One day you’re going to meet a girl and fall in love and you’re going to want to kiss her all the time,” his dad told him.

                  “Okay, let’s not have him grow up too fast, shall we? The line seems to be dying down. Let’s go grab some food,” Michelle suggested. The rest of our table got up and headed over to the buffet, leaving Josh and me alone.

                  He moved his chair closer to mine so we were practically sitting on top of each other. “Have I told you how sexy you look in that dress?” he whispered in my ear.

                  “Maybe once or twice… or fifty times,” I replied with a smirk.

                  “Well that’s because it’s true. Your legs look like they’re a mile long,” he said, running his hand up my thigh.

                  “That would probably be the shoes you bought me that’s making them look long,” I reasoned, trying to keep my breathing under control.

                  Josh’s hand didn’t stop moving upwards. “Also, the very short hemline,” he whispered, his fingers slipping under my dress and touching me intimately. I gasped and gripped the edge of the table. Thank God we were sitting so my back was facing towards the room.

                  “Jesus, Olive,” he breathed. “You’re not wearing a damn thing under this dress. How long have you been like this?” he asked, his voice strained.

                  I gave him a playful smirk. “All night,” I murmured.

                  “Fuck,” he groaned, sliding his hand under my hemline fully. I laid my head on his shoulder, letting go of the table to grip his thigh. He stroked me gently, getting me completely worked up into a shaking mess.

                  “Don’t stop,” I begged quietly. Josh slipped a finger in me and I moaned loudly.

                  “My God, Olive. I want you so bad right now,” he said painfully. Josh pulled his hand away from me and I whimpered at the loss. “Come on,” he said, standing up and grabbing my hand. “Walk in front of me because I have a massive hard-on.”

                  Josh stood behind me, steering us towards the bathrooms. They were each individual rooms with a sink and a separate stall with a toilet. As soon as we were in the closest one, he shut the door and locked it. “We’ve never done this in public before,” I said seductively, pulling him closer to me by his tie.

                  “Seems like the perfect time,” he answered, grabbing my ass and lifting me up onto the sink. His tongue immediately went into my mouth, one hand going back up my dress and the other groping my breasts through the material.

                  I pulled my mouth away from his to moan loudly. My hands reached behind me and I unzipped my dress, pushing it down to my waist so I could feel his hands on my bare skin. “So good,” I groaned, feeling him kiss down my chest to pay attention to my breasts. I cried out, threading my fingers through his hair and begging him not to stop. My hips bucked into his hand as his fingers worked to draw a powerful orgasm out of me.

                  “You’re so fucking sexy, baby. Can’t wait to be inside of you,” he murmured against my skin.

Just as I was about to fall over the edge, Josh pulled away and tears came to my eyes. “No, please,” I whined.

                  “Don’t worry, baby. I’ve got something hell of a lot better than my fingers,” he said, picking me up off the sink and pulling me into the stall. I watched as he pulled out his wallet and handed me a condom before yanking his belt open and pulling his pants and boxer-briefs down to his mid thigh. I swallowed hard at the sight of him and he grabbed the condom back from me, putting it on and lifting me up.

                  “FUCK!” I cried as he slid me down onto him. I thanked God that the music was loud at the party so no one would be able to hear us through the door. My hands grabbed the top of the stall tightly as Josh guided me up and down, making my head spin.

                  “You look so fucking hot right now, Olive. You feel so fucking amazing,” he groaned. He leaned forward attaching his mouth to my breasts that were bouncing with each powerful thrust. His hips were making small circles every time they connected with mine, causing electricity to run through my veins.

                  “Josh, I’m so close!” I exclaimed, feeling myself slipping, but not completely falling over the edge. Josh pressed his thumb where we were joined and rubbed circles, causing my body to spasm and sending me into the most powerful orgasm I’ve ever had. I couldn’t scream or call out his name, all I could do was pant and whimper, digging my heels into the small of his back.

Josh held me tightly and let out a string of curses as he pounded into me three more times before going still, letting his orgasm wash over him. “So good, baby. So good,” he said, trying to catch his breath. After a minute of holding onto each other, Josh set me down on my feet and flushed the condom. He pulled his pants back up and helped me zip my dress back up.

                  “That was amazing,” I said as we fixed ourselves in the mirror.

                  “Understatement,” he replied, kissing me softly on the lips. “I love you, Olive.”

                  I smiled. “I love you too, Josh.”

                  “Ready to head back out there?” he asked, holding his arm out.

                  “Of course.” We exited the bathroom and headed back over to the table where his family was, eating and conversing.

                  “Where did you two go?” Michelle asked.

                  “Just took a lap around the party,” Josh answered, giving me a wink. We sat down and continued on as if nothing had happened, but both of us thinking about the amazing time we had in that bathroom stall. I know I’d never look at one the same again.


	13. Imagine Josh Getting Into a Huge Accident

                 _Please let him be okay. Please let him be okay._ I was sitting in the waiting room of the ER at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, crying my eyes out and praying to God that Josh would be okay. I received a call from the hospital two hours earlier telling me that Josh had been out on his motorcycle on his way to see me when a driver who wasn’t paying attention smashed into him. They said he was awake at the scene and he had kept screaming for the paramedics to call me before he lost consciousness. I had called his mother immediately as I frantically drove to the hospital. She got right in her car and headed to the airport. Her flight would be leaving in two hours so she’d be here in about eight.

                “Excuse me, are you Olive Fairs?” a nurse asked.

                I looked up at her and nodded. “Yes. That’s me. Is Josh okay?” I asked, my voice breaking.

                “Well, he has a slight concussion which caused him to lose consciousness, his left wrist is fractured, and he has a few bruised ribs. The CAT scan came back fine. There are no internal injuries or bleeding. It’s a good thing he was wearing a helmet, that’s for sure. Otherwise it would have been much worse,” she told me.

                “So he’s going to be okay?”

                “Yes. He’s going to be fine. He’s awake now, and we have him on a morphine drip to help with the pain, so he might be a little bit dazed,” she explained.

                I breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn’t stop crying. “Can I see him?” I pleaded.

                “Of course. We’re going to keep him overnight for observation just to make sure everything is all right, so they’re moving him to a regular room now. I will let you know where he is once he gets there,” she said.

                “Thank you,” I replied. She walked back to the nurse’s station and I pulled out my cellphone to call his mom.

                “Olive?” she answered frantically.

                “Hi, Michelle,” I replied. “I just talked to the nurse,” I said, wiping my eyes.

                “Is he okay? Please tell me he’s okay!” she exclaimed. I could hear the pain in her voice and it made me even sadder.

                “Yeah he’s fine. No internal injuries and the CAT scan came back normal. He just has a slight concussion, a few bruised ribs, and his left wrist is fractured. They’re keeping him overnight for observation and he’s on a morphine drip, but they said he’ll be perfectly fine,” I reiterated to her.

                She let out a gust of air. “Oh, thank God! Have you seen him?” she asked.

                “Not yet. They’re moving him to a regular room now. When they tell me where that is, I’m going to go see him and I’m staying the night,” I said.

                “Okay. My flight leaves in an hour and a half so I will call you when I land at LAX to see where you are.”

                “Sounds good. We’ll see you soon.” We hung up and I went into the bathroom to clean myself up. I looked beyond terrible. My hair was all over the place from me pulling at it and my eyes were completely swollen and red. Not a stitch of makeup was left on my face from all my crying. I splashed cool water on my face to help calm me down a bit and ran my fingers through my hair. The last thing I wanted was for Josh to see me looking like such a mess. I did all I could to look presentable, but gave up when nothing worked. I walked out of the bathroom to see the nurse from earlier looking for me.

                “They moved him. He’s on the third floor in room 315. Here’s his phone, wallet, watch, and necklace that he was brought in here with,” she said, handing me his cracked iPhone, black leather wallet, his anchor necklace, and his silver Rolex in a ziplock bag. “His clothes had to be cut so we just threw them away,” she explained.

                “That’s fine,” I replied.

                “Paperwork does have to be filled out including his insurance information. We can’t discharge him without it,” she informed me.

                “His mom is on her way here now from Kentucky. She should be here before the morning, so she’ll fill it out then.”

                “Okay. You can go on up and see him now.”

                I thanked her and headed over towards the elevator, clutching my purse and his belongings in my hands. Once I reached the third floor, I followed the signs over to his room. I peeked in and saw that he was awake, watching television. He had a stitched up cut above his left eyebrow and a cast on his left wrist. Just seeing him in a hospital bed broke my heart and brought on another round of tears.

                He looked over towards the doorway when he heard the sob rip from my chest. He gave me a dazed sort of smile which I guess was a side effect of the Morphine. “What’s up?” he asked.

                Although I couldn’t stop crying, I had to laugh at his nonchalant attitude and I stepped into the room. “Oh, nothing much, just my stupid boyfriend getting into an accident,” I replied.

                “Well is he okay?!” he asked in mock horror.

                I couldn’t answer. I walked over to the bed and sat down, leaning forward and kissing him with everything I had. His right hand wound through my hair and he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss. I remembered his bruised ribs, so I made sure I kept my weight off of his chest. In the background, his heart monitor started to beep erratically. Frantic footsteps coming into the room made me pull away.

                “Sorry about that,” Josh said to the nurse. “She always makes my heart rate rise, along with other things, when she kisses me,” Josh cheekily said.

                I turned bright red and the nurse laughed. “Jesus Christ, Josh,” I moaned in embarrassment. I moved off of the bed and sat on the chair beside it, letting Josh hold my hand.

                “So you’re the one he keeps talking about. You were right, Mr. Hutcherson. She is a beauty,” the nurse replied.

                “Isn’t she? I love her so much. I’m going to marry her one day,” he said, squeezing my hand and giving me a stupid smile.

                I laughed. “How much Morphine did they give you?” I asked.

                “Just enough for him to tell you the truth,” the nurse replied with a smile.

                “Yup and it is the truth. I’m going to marry you, Olive Fairs,” he said.

                “Let’s talk about this when you’re not under the influence of narcotics, shall we?” I suggested with a smile. The thought of marrying Josh always sent a thrill through my bones, but hearing it from him made it ten times better.

                “Sure. I’ll talk about it any time you want,” he said.

                “Well now that I know he’s not having a heart attack, I’ll leave you two alone to get some privacy.” The nurse left the room, leaving the two of us alone.

                “Come back on the bed,” he whispered, patting the empty spot next to him.

                I rolled my eyes. “You’re the in the hospital and you want to get frisky still?” I asked in amazement.

                “No, not to get frisky. I mean, of course I want to, I want you all the time, but this time I just want you in my arms,” he said. I kicked my shoes off and climbed into the bed next to him, being mindful of his ribs and the IV drip. Josh held me close with his good arm and kissed my forehead. “You know, as I was lying there in the street waiting for help, I honestly thought for a second that I wasn’t going to make it, but the only thing I could say was your name,” he told me.

                Tears streamed down my face again for what seemed like the millionth time that day. “I was so scared. They wouldn’t tell me anything on the phone. I thought the worst. I called your mom and she’s on her way out here,” I said.

                “Thank you,” he whispered. “I didn’t tell you that to upset you and make you cry. I told you that because I want you to know how much I love you and that you’re always on my mind, even when I thought I was on the brink of death.” He wiped away my tears, but more just kept coming.

I clung to him, letting them soak into his hospital gown. “I don’t know what I’d do if you’d left me,” I admitted. “I wouldn’t be able to live without you. I love you,” I cried.

                “Shhh, Sweetheart. I know you love me. You’re my world and I will do anything for you. I’ll always do everything in my power to be here for you and not leave you,” he said.

                “You better,” I threatened half-heartedly. “And I’ll do the same.”

                “Good. Sweetheart, you should go home and get some rest,” he whispered.

                I shook my head. “I’m not leaving you. I’m staying and then I’ll leave with you when you’re discharged,” I said adamantly. “If I was in your situation, would you leave my side?” I asked, looking into his eyes.

                “Not for a second,” he said without hesitation. “If you’re staying, you’re staying right here. I already thought I lost you once today, there’s no way I’m letting you go now.”

                I nodded. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” I whispered. Josh and I held each other all night as we slept, knowing that our love was strong enough to overcome even the worst circumstances.


	14. Imagine Josh Making a Bet with a Bud

                  “Leaving so soon?” a sleepy female voice asked, making me cringe.

                  “Um, yeah. I have meetings and stuff to get to,” I said, hurriedly tying my shoes.

                  “Meetings, shmeetings. Stay. I’ll make it worth your while,” she said, rolling over.

                  I was currently sitting on the edge of a queen sized bed that wasn’t mine in an apartment that also wasn’t mine. “Look, Katie,” I started.

                  “It’s Kristen,” she said, sounding hurt.

                  “Right. Look, Kristen, It’s a Friday which means I have a crazy busy day ahead of me, so I really need to get going,” I said, grabbing my wallet, phone, and keys off of her nightstand and bolting to the front door as fast as I could.

                  “CALL ME!” she shouted.

                  “Not likely,” I mumbled, stumbling my way out of her apartment building and out to my car in the parking lot. As soon as I peeled out, I called Avan.

                  “Josh! What’s going on, bro?” he asked.

                  “Oh, not much just made a hasty escape from some random girl’s apartment,” I answered, pulling onto the 405.

                  Avan laughed. “Nice! How was it?”

                  I groaned. “She tried to make me stay. One night stands are only supposed to last for exactly how long they are named for; one night. I did exactly what I was supposed to do. Took her out for dinner and then sealed the deal,” I replied.

                  “What number was she?” he asked.

                  “Number nine. How far behind me are you?”

                  “I’m at six. I’m catching up!” he said.

                  “What are you trying to lose or something?”

                  “Psh, you wish! I’m not going to make it that easy for you!” he answered.

                  “Just saying, you better start saving. Or would you rather hand me the thousand dollars now?” I asked.

                  “Keep dreaming, Hutch! See you later!”

                  “Peace, bro,” I said, hanging up the phone. Last month, Avan and I made a bet who could date the most girls in a six month period. I was currently winning with nine. I smiled to myself and pulled into the nearest Starbucks. I was in desperate need of caffeine after the night I had. I walked in and groaned, seeing how long the line was, but I really needed coffee. I made my way to the back of the line, standing behind a mildly attractive redhead. She kept looking over her shoulder at me, undressing me with her eyes and smirking. I raised my eyebrows and put on my best panty dropping smile.  _This should be easy. Let’s meet number ten._  Before I could introduce myself to her, I felt someone smash into the back of me, sending me into the back of the redhead.

                  “Oh, my God, I am so sorry!” I heard the sweetest voice say to me.

                  I turned around and my jaw dropped. There was a stunning blonde standing there, looking completely winded. She was tiny, about five inches shorter than me, her short hair in messy layers, covering almost half of the tan, perfect skin on her face. Her eyes were a bright, emerald green, and her lips were pouty and pink. “No, it’s okay,” I said.

                  She blushed bright red and bit her lip. “I really am sorry. I’m such a klutz. I tripped over my own two feet,” she explained.

                  “Really, it’s fine. We all have our moments. Are you hurt?” I asked, seeing that she was holding onto her elbow.

                  She was about to reply when a nasally voice cut her off. “Um, excuse me?” I heard from my right. It was the redhead and she was obviously pissed.

                  “I’m so sorry for bumping into you,” I apologized.

                  “ _You_  don’t need to apologize,” she purred. “It’s her fault,” she said nastily, pointing at the stunning blonde with a bony finger.

                  “I’m really sorry. I tripped,” the blonde explained, looking uncomfortable at the confrontation.

                  “Well, sorry isn’t good enough! I almost fell because of you! God forbid I would have broken something! You so would be hearing from my lawyer,” she sneered.

                  “Hey, she said she was sorry and you weren’t hurt, so just let it go,” I said.

                  “How can you be so calm about this?! She could have hurt  _you_!” she wined.

                  “It was an accident so chill out. Plus, you don’t even know me so why do you care so much if I get hurt?” I asked, getting a bit freaked out. Redhead was definitely not going to be number ten anymore that’s for sure!

                  “Well, I could get to know you,” she said, batting her eyelashes. I was sure she was trying to be sexy, but it just looked like she had something in her eye.

                  “Yeah, no thanks,” I responded, turning back to the blonde. “Are you hurt?” I asked her again.

                  “Oh, no, I’m fine. Just hit my elbow on the ‘line starts here’ sign,” she said.

                  I saw that her elbow was already turning black and blue. “You must have hit it pretty hard,” I commented.

                  “Not really. I bruise like a peach,” she shrugged. The line started to move fast and redhead kept giving us dirty looks. “She seems like a real gem,” Blonde said.

                  I laughed. “Yeah, but only to her father I’m guessing,” I whispered. Blonde giggled as redhead watched us from the corner of her eye as she ordered her coffee. I let Blonde order next and then I went. “I’m Josh, by the way,” I introduced myself, holding my hand out for her to shake.

                  “Olive,” she said, shaking my hand. I felt tingly sparks on my skin where she touched me and I didn’t want to let go of her. “And I know who you are, Josh Hutcherson. I’ve reviewed several of your movies.”

                  I looked at her in surprise. “Have you?” I asked.

                  “I have. I’m a writer for Entertainment Weekly so I’ve written several Hunger Games articles,” she said.

                  “That’s awesome,” I said with a smile. Our names were called and we both got our coffee and walked out. Almost as soon as we were on the sidewalk, Redhead went slamming into Olive, making her coffee fall and splatter to the ground.

                  “Oops! Sorry! It was an accident!” Redhead said, shooting a nasty smile at her before strutting away.

                  Olive sighed. “Another awesome Friday morning,” Olive mumbled.

                  “What a bitch!” I exclaimed loud enough for Redhead to hear me. “Are you all right?” I asked.

                  “Yup, I am absolutely fantastic,” she said and laughed once.

                  “Let me buy you another coffee,” I offered.

                  She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. It wasn’t your fault. Plus I really have to get to work. Don’t want to be late!”

                  “Well, what are you doing later?” I asked, putting on my most seductive smile.

                  Olive rolled her eyes. “Seriously?” she asked.

                  “Yes, seriously,” I said.

                  “Is that how you get so many girls? Put on a charming smile, ask what they’re doing later, and they just fall to your feet and go out with you?” My eyes widened in shock. “Look, Josh, I am sure you’re a nice guy, but I do work in the entertainment industry. I am very well aware that you have charmed the panties off of many girls, three just this week! I am not interested in being another notch in your bedpost. So thank you for sticking up for me against that bitchy daddy’s girl and once again, I apologize for unceremoniously slamming into you, but I have to go to work now,” she said, turning on her heel and walking away.

                  I stood there like an idiot as I watched her drive off. This girl was feisty and beautiful and I wanted nothing more than to take her out on a date. This was the first time I’ve ever been told “no” by a girl and it threw me for a loop. Now, I was in no way shallow and I never let the fame go to my head, but I knew that girls found me attractive just as much as I found them attractive. I was a single, nineteen year old male and I felt no shame in casually seeing women.  _Do I really sleep around that much that the tabloids know about it? I thought I was pretty good at keeping my private life on the down-low. Did one or more of these girls talk?_  I shook my head and made my way over to my car, driving to the nearest Barnes & Noble. I ran in and bought the latest copy of Entertainment Weekly, which of course, had my face on the cover of it.  _Could I look any more like a complete tool? Buying a magazine that I’m on the cover of?_

“Will that be all?” the girl behind the counter asked, breathlessly.

                  “Um, yeah,” I replied, trying not to look her in the eye as I handed her cash.

                  “Do you always buy magazines that you’re in?” she asked.

                  “It’s for my mom,” I lied. “She likes to collect them and make a scrapbook of sorts.”

                  “That’s so cute!” she gushed.

                  “Um, yeah,” I responded.

                  “Well, have a great day, Josh,” she said suggestively.

                  I nodded, grabbed the bag, and ran out of there as fast as I could. For the next twenty minutes I sat in my car and scanned every page to find an article that she had written. I finally found it and coincidentally, it was the article about me. Her name was Olive Fairs and she was an extremely talented writer. I immediately picked up my phone and called my publicist.

                  “Melissa Kates,” she answered.

                  “Hey, it’s Josh,” I said.

                  “Ah, just the man I was about to call. Lovely pictures of you doing the walk of shame out of some random girl’s apartment about two hours ago.”

                  I groaned. “There’s pictures? I didn’t see any photographers.”

                  “He was hiding in the bushes. It’s all over TMZ,” she said. “Seriously, Josh, when are you going to stop?” she asked.

                  “Five more months, when I beat Avan,” I said.

                  Melissa made a noise of disgust. “That bet was a bad idea and I’m sure it was Avan’s. His girlfriend breaks up with him and he decides to go on a screwing every girl he meets spree, but he doesn’t want to do it alone, so he makes a bet with his best friend about who can screw the most girls instead.”

                  “It’s not a bet about who can screw the most girls. It’s who can date the most girls. I’ve only slept with five out of the nine that I went on dates with,” I tried to reason, even though I was aware it sounded horrible.

                  “Oh and that’s real gentlemanly of you,” she said sarcastically.

                  “Look, I didn’t call to get a lecture about what a huge man whore I’ve been. I called to see if you could find a phone number for me.”

                  “Who’s?” she asked.

                  “Her name is Olive Fairs and she’s a journalist at Entertainment Weekly.”

                  “I know who she is. Why do you want her number? I hope it’s not to complain about the article she wrote. She didn’t say anything bad about you,” Melissa said.

                  “I know she didn’t. I read it. Can you just get me the number?” I asked.

                  “Okay,” she said, suspiciously. I heard her clicking on the keyboard as I reached for a pen in my glove compartment. I wrote the number down at the top of the article and thanked her before hanging up. I dialed Olive’s office number before I could second guess myself.

                  “Olive Fairs,” she answered.

                  “So you think I have a charming smile?” I asked.

                  “Who is this?” she questioned, sounding confused.

                  “Well, we met this morning in Starbucks. You bumped into me because you tripped over your own two feet. Then this snobby redhead spilled your coffee on purpose and when I tried to ask you out for dinner, you completely called me out as a player and drove off,” I said with a smile.

                  “Josh?” she asked.

                  “Correct, Olive Fairs,” I replied.

                  “How did you get this number?”

                  “Well, I went to Barnes & Noble after our little missed connection and I purchased the most current copy of Entertainment Weekly. Let me tell you how embarrassing it is to be buying a magazine with your face on the cover of it. So I flipped through it and low and behold, an amazing journalist named Olive Fairs wrote an incredible article about me. Naturally I called my publicist who gave me your number and now, here we are,” I told her.

                  “Jesus Christ,” she mumbled.

                  “Josh Hutcherson, actually, but I can see how you could get us confused,” I said.

                  “Could you sound any more like a pretentious prick?” she asked.

                  I laughed loudly. “I am one hundred percent joking with you. So, you see, I went through all this trouble to try and find you, the least you could do is go out on a date with me.”

                  “The most I could do is hang up on you right now, actually,” she said.

                  “I’d be really upset if you did. The last thing I want is for the paparazzi to take pictures of me in my car crying.”

                  “Oh, but them taking pictures of you after a night of getting your dick wet, no problem!” she said sarcastically.

                  “Okay. I deserve that completely. I promise you that I will not try anything on you. I just want to take you out to dinner. Please?” I asked.

                  Olive sighed. “Fine,” she consented.

                  “Perfect. Just give me your address and I will pick you up at eight o’clock.”

                  Olive gave me her information and we hung up. After that, I had a day full of meetings that just seemed to drag on forever. Luckily, we finished at five o’clock and I drove home as fast as I could, avoiding the freeways so I wouldn’t have to sit in rush hour traffic.

                  “Look what the cat dragged in,” my roommate, Andre, teased.

                  “You’re hilarious,” I said.

                  “Where are you going in such a rush?” he asked.

                  “Have to shower and get ready. I have a date tonight,” I said.

                  “Another one? Is it the same girl as last night?”

                  “Nope,” I said, throwing him the Entertainment Weekly. “It’s with the girl who wrote the article about me.” I showered as fast as I could and put on a pair of dark wash jeans with a white t-shirt and a blue and black flannel over it, rolling the sleeves up to my elbows.

                  “So you have a date with Olive Fairs?” he asked.

                  “Yup. We met at Starbucks this morning. She hates me, but she agreed to go out with me anyway because I kind of stalked her,” I explained.

                  “Well that sounds awesome,” he said, rolling his eyes.

                  “It is. All right I have to be in Santa Monica at eight o’clock, so I’m out of here.”

                  “Will you be coming home tonight?” he asked.

                  “Yup. She won’t sleep with me,” I said, grabbing my keys and heading towards the door.

                  “It’s just you and your hand tonight!” Andre sang. I flipped him off and walked out to my car, starting the drive over to Santa Monica. I arrived at Olive’s front door at three minutes to eight and took a deep breath before knocking.

                  The door swung open and there was Olive looking heartbreakingly beautiful in a black dress. “Well, I must say, I’m impressed that you’re on time,” she said with a smirk.

                  “I’m only on time when I really like someone,” I said.

                  She laughed. “You don’t even know me.”

                  “Doesn’t matter. What I do know, I like and I want to get to know you more,” I answered.

                  “Well then, shall we go?” she asked, locking her door. I took her to a small Italian restaurant where the food was delicious and our conversation could remain private. I learned that she used to work in the Entertainment Weekly office in New York before deciding to transfer to the Los Angeles office after her father died. “My mother died when I was in high school and my dad was all I had left. Now I have no one, so what’s the point of staying where everything reminds me of that?” she asked. My heart broke for her and she let me hold her hand. The conversation was constant even between bites of food and I found myself enthralled in every word that came out of her mouth.

                  “So what’s your story, Josh Hutcherson? What’s with you being splashed across every tabloid cover I see in the grocery store with a new girl on your arm every night? Is this a new development?” she asked.

                  “Well, I feel like if I tell you, you’ll get pissed and never talk to me again,” I said with a laugh.

                  “Try me.”

                  “Well, my friend Avan recently broke up with his girlfriend and to prove to himself he’s over her, he started dating a lot of women. Since I’m single, he placed a wager on which one of us could date the most women in a six month period,” I said.

                  Olive looked disgusted. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

                  “I know it sounds bad, but I honestly don’t sleep with them all,” I explained.

                  “Oh, and that’s supposed to make it okay?!”

                  “No, not at all. Trust me, I’m not exactly proud of this whole situation,” I admitted. “I just, really like you a lot.”

                  “Yeah, I bet you say that to all the girls,” she said, rolling her eyes.

                  “No,” I whispered. “Just you. Do you think I tell the girls I date that I’m only going out with them once and it’s for a bet? Why would I do that? I’d get slapped in the face.”

                  “You’d deserve it. In fact, I probably should slap you in the face.”

                  “Olive, what I’m trying to get at here is you’re different. I’m not out with you to put another check mark on my list. I’m out with you because I genuinely want to be out with you. I just thought I should tell you about the bet because I like you. I don’t want to lie to you,” I confessed.

                  “Why are you telling me this and not other girls you’re dating?” she asked.

                  “Because, if you’ll allow it, I want to keep seeing you,” I responded.

                  “And you’re just going to go on and keep dating and probably fucking random girls at the same time?” she asked incredulously.

                  I shook my head. “No, Olive. I don’t care about the damn bet anymore. Let Avan win. I’d gladly forfeit for just one more date with you.”

                  “Really?”

                  “Really. I haven’t lied to you once, I’m not going to start now,” I promised.

                  “I’m still not sleeping with you,” she said.

                  “I’m not asking you to.”

                  “I don’t sleep with people I’m not in love with,” she continued, biting her lip.

                  “How many people have you been in love with?” I questioned.

                  She blushed and looked down. “Well, um, none,” she said quietly.

                  I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “None? You mean to tell me you’re a virgin?” I asked, louder than I intended too.

                  Olive looked up at me in horror. “Fuck, Josh! Say it a little louder, why don’t you! I don’t think the people in Australia heard you!”

                  “I’m sorry, but how is that possible? You’re twenty-five, you’re funny, you’re smart, and you are absolutely beautiful. How is it that no man has ever swept you off of your feet?”

                  “Well, I’ve had boyfriends before, but they tried to rush the whole sex thing before I could let myself fall in love with them and things just fell apart,” she shrugged.

                  “I see,” I said.

                  “Is that a bad thing?” she asked worriedly.

                  “No. Quite the contrary actually. A girl who respects herself is a massive turn on,” I said truthfully.

                  “Well, you’re the only guy it turns on.”

                  “Don’t get me wrong, I love sex. Hell, I’m a nineteen-year-old guy. I can’t help it, but I don’t mind waiting if I love someone,” I admitted.

                  “How many girls have you truly been in love with?” she asked.

                  “Three.”

                  “You’re nineteen and you’ve been in love with three girls. I’m twenty-five and I haven’t even been in love with one guy. Talk about a late bloomer.”

                  Olive and I spent the rest of our dinner talking about anything and everything before heading back to her place. “I don’t want to say goodnight,” I whispered, walking her to her door. “When can I see you again?”

                  “Well, I have plans with friends tomorrow night, so maybe during the week? Or next weekend?” she suggested.

                  “I’m holding you to it,” I said. We stopped in front of her door and I wrapped my arms around her waist.

                  “You get one kiss, Hutcherson,” she said.

                  “Well then, I better make it count.” I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, kissing her softly before gradually increasing the pressure. Before I knew it, I had her pressed up against her front door as we kissed passionately, her fingers threaded into my hair. I felt myself starting to lose control so I eased up, breaking the kiss off slowly.

                  “Wow,” she whispered breathlessly.

                  “Yeah, wow,” I agreed.

                  “Thank you for taking me out.”

                  “Thank you for saying yes.”

                  “Goodnight, Josh Hutcherson.”

                  “Goodnight, Olive Fairs.” I reluctantly let her go and watched her go inside. I walked back to my car and pulled my phone out, dialing Avan.

                  “What’s up, Hutch?” he answered.

                  “I forfeit,” I said.

                  “What do you mean you forfeit? Weren’t you just busting my balls this morning about how you were winning?” he asked.

                  “That was before I met Olive Fairs,” I responded.

                  “Who the hell is Olive Fairs?”

                  “The one. That’s who,” I answered.

                  “You know, even though you went on more dates than I did, a forfeit automatically means you lose so you have to pay up,” Avan said.

                  “That’s fine. A bet is a bet. Expect your thousand dollars tomorrow.”

                  “Hutch? I’m happy for you. If she’s the one, don’t let her go,” he said seriously. “Don’t make the same mistake I did with Zoey.”

                  “If Zoey’s the one, then fix it,” I said simply.

                  “I’ll try everyday for the rest of my life if I have to.”

                  “Good. See you later, bro.” I hung up and got back into my car. Olive and I continued to see each other and I eventually became her boyfriend. Our relationship wasn’t perfect, but it was ours. I was the first to say “I love you” three months in. Two months later, she finally said it back. That night, she let me be the first and only person to show her how much. Looking back, I know the bet was stupid, but I thank God I made it because I never would have met Olive Fairs.


	15. Imagine Looking Into Josh's Eyes

                  “Olive.”

                  I jerked awake at the sound of my name. I slowly lifted my head up and groaned. My neck and back were in so much pain. I put my head back down and let my eyes adjust to the light. I was in Josh’s kitchen, sitting at the table, my head on the surface next to my laptop.

                  “Olive, you okay?” Josh asked, his fingers pushing the hair out of my eyes.

                  “No. My neck and back hurt,” I said weakly.

                  Josh sighed and placed his hands on my shoulders, rubbing with just the perfect amount of pressure. I moaned in approval. “Sweetheart, you slept out here all night. You can’t do this anymore. It’s not good for you,” he chastised.

                  “I have to get this article done. It’s stressing me out,” I admitted.

                  “Well, how about you take the day off today to relax. We can go down to the beach, lye in the sand, and play in the waves,” he suggested.

                  “I don’t have the time to take the day off!”  I exclaimed. “This article needs to get done.”

                  “Olive, your deadline isn’t until Friday. It’s only Tuesday and you’re already halfway done with it. Come on. You need a day of rest and relaxation,” he said.

                  I sighed and slowly sat up all the way. Josh’s fingers moved to my neck, kneading the tense muscles there. “I guess you’re right. Nothing is going to move forward if my body is protesting.”

                  “Exactly. Now, get that cute butt ready for the beach,” he said, leaning down to kiss my temple. I got up from the chair, stretching my sore muscles and headed towards Josh’s bedroom. He had cleared out a drawer for me last month when I started to spend more and more time here. There wasn’t much in it, just a few pairs of clothes and a bathing suit. I quickly put the bathing suit on under a pair of shorts and a tank top, brushed my teeth, and met Josh back in the kitchen. He was already wearing his bathing suit and was making sandwiches for us to bring.

                  “Now I’m excited. I definitely need a tan,” I said, frowning down at my pale skin.

                  Josh laughed. “That makes two of us.” Josh put the sandwiches and a few drinks in the cooler and we headed out the door. The entire way to the beach, Josh and I held hands and listened to the radio with the windows down, letting the warm breeze wash over us. “See, isn’t this way better than staying inside and writing all day?” he asked.

                  “Anything is better than that.” We arrived at the beach around 11:30 and set up our towels close to the water. I plopped down and Josh handed me a salami and cheese sandwich that I scarfed down immediately. “I probably should have eaten dinner last night,” I mused.

                  “I tried to get you to, but you were in your little writing world,” he said.

                  I frowned. “I’m sorry I’ve been so crazy lately. It’s just really hard to write a good article about you without giving away that I’m dating you. I have to censor myself.” I was writing an article about Josh in his upcoming role in Catching Fire and I was having a very difficult time.

                  “Just focus on the Josh that’s an actor, not the Josh that’s your boyfriend,” he said.

                  “I’m trying,” I said.

                  Josh finished his sandwich and dusted the crumbs off himself. “Come on. Let’s go in the water,” he said, standing up.

                  “Now?” I asked.

                  He didn’t wait for an answer, just swooped down and threw me over his shoulder, causing me to shriek. Josh walked straight into the water and dunked us both under. When we came back up, he moved me so we were face to face, his arms holding me up. “It’s nice and warm in here today,” he commented.

                  “Probably because the little kid that was over here before us peed,” I said, giggling.

                  “Oh stop,” he smiled, rolling his eyes. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled myself closer to him. A big wave came and I closed my eyes, feeling Josh jump over it easily.

                  “Okay, can we get out now?” I asked, nervously.

                  “Relax, Sweetheart. I promise that I will not let you drown. We’ll just jump the waves we can and dive under the waves we can’t.”

                  “Yeah, that never works for me. I usually get swept away in the undertow and keep getting wiped out. Salt water really hurts when it goes up your nose,” I said.

                  “You’re not diving deep enough under them. You know how to swim, so you’ll be fine,” he encouraged. Another massive wave came and Josh jumped it again right before it broke, going even deeper out into the water.

                  My heart was beating out of my chest. “Seriously, Josh. I want to get out.” I was panicking now, and while I knew Josh wouldn’t let anything happen to me, the fear of drowning was winning over.

                  Josh must have seen the anxiety attack I was about to have and started to swim us towards the shore. “Olive, calm down. We’ll stand on the shore, okay?” he said soothingly. A huge wave came and I knew this time we weren’t going to make it before it broke.

                  “JOSH!” I screamed, trying to get out of his arms.

                  He held me tighter. “Olive, I’m going to take us under it. Just hold your breath and don’t let go of me,” he instructed. The wave came and Josh pulled us under the water, deep enough so that we didn’t get tossed around or separated. When he kicked us back to the surface, I took a deep breath of fresh air, wiping the salt water away from my eyes. “See, we’re okay,” he said. We swam closer to the beach so that we were in the water up to the middle of our chests.

                  “Will we be okay here?” I asked.

                  “Yes. The waves break further out so we’ll be fine right here.” I rested my cheek against his shoulder, feeling a lot more at ease closer to the shore. “I promised you I wouldn’t let you drown. I love you, Olive. I’d never let anything bad happen to you,” he whispered.

                  There it was. “I love you.” Josh had said it two months ago for the first time. I had yet to say it back. I felt really bad, but I just wasn’t ready yet. I had thought it many times, but saying it was something different entirely. Josh told me he didn’t mind that I didn’t say it back. He already knew how I felt about him. We floated together in a comfortable silence for the next twenty minutes before we decided to lye out.

                  “Pale skin, be gone!” Josh exclaimed, falling back onto his towel.

                  I giggled and did the same on mine right next to his. It didn’t take long for Josh to start snoring and I let my mind wander. Did I love Josh? I’d never been in love before so I had no grounds for comparison. I looked over at Josh, his mouth open, fast asleep, and his hair sticking up in all direction. He wasn’t even conscious and I still got butterflies in my stomach. I thought about what my life would be like without him and it physically hurt my heart. He was affectionate, loyal, patient, funny, and of course, very sexy. I loved how passionate he was about his career and about our relationship. I loved how the only thing he ever asked of me was to be myself. I loved that he loved me for me no matter how much baggage I was carrying on my back.

                  I laid there and contemplated these thoughts over and over in my head for the next three hours. I periodically woke Josh up so he could turn over and have even color on both sides, but I never let on what was on my mind.

                  “Want to go back in the water one last time?” he teased as we packed up to go back to his place.

                  I gave him a horrified look. “Absolutely not! I’ve had my fill of the ocean for the rest of the year!”

                  Josh laughed and we walked back to his car hand in hand. “So, shall I make us some amazing burgers for dinner?” he asked.

                  “That sounds perfect,” I answered. We arrived at the car and Josh packed all our things away. He opened my door for me and smiled.

                  “I love you,” I blurted out. I gasped and slapped my hand over my mouth. “Shit. Shit! I didn’t mean to just say that out of nowhere like that!”

                  “Did you mean it?” Josh asked quietly, his gaze intense.

                  I let my hand drop and nodded. “I did. I do mean it. I love you,” I whispered.

                  Josh leaned forward and captured my lips with his, kissing me passionately. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to hear you say that,” he said against my lips.

                  I pulled away and blushed. “Let’s go home,” I said.

                  Josh nodded and closed my door after I got in the car. I leaned over the center console, resting my head on his shoulder and his arm around me for the entire way home. I wanted to be as close to him as possible. “Still up for some burgers?” he asked as we walked into the house.

                  “Sure. I’ll jump in a shower while you cook,” I said, kissing him before heading into the bathroom. I cleaned myself as fast as I could and put on a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top before heading back into the kitchen. Josh was pulling the frozen burgers apart at the counter, wearing only a pair of jeans, his hair damp.

                  “Did you shower too?” I asked.

                  “Yeah. I felt all sticky from the ocean,” he said. We went out back and I watched Josh in his element at the grill. If there was one thing that man was good at, it was making some delicious barbeque. I sat there quietly, wringing my hands together as I tried my hardest not to shout, “I love you” over and over again. Once I said it, I felt like I couldn’t stop. “You okay over there?” Josh asked, raising his eyebrows.

                  “I love you,” I blurted out yet again. “Dammit, I have to just stop announcing it like that!”

                  Josh laughed. “I love that you just say it,” he said, walking over towards me with the two cooked cheeseburgers. “I love you, too,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss me. We sat on the back patio and ate our burgers, watching the sky turn from orange and pink to a deep purple. I looked over at Josh who was staring up at the sky, watching the first few starts pop out. I memorized every inch of his face; the curve of his well defined jaw, the slope of his perfect nose, the brightness of his eyes. I wanted nothing more than to give every part of myself to him. “What?” he asked with a smile, noticing my staring.

                  I took a deep breath. “I was just thinking,” I said slowly.

                  “About?”

                  “You and I. How glad I am that you stalked me the day I met you and persuaded me to go out on a date with you. How you lost one thousand dollars to be with me. How you’ve loved me unconditionally no matter what obstacles were thrown at us. How patient you’ve been with me the whole time,” I confessed.

                  Josh smiled. “I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. I love you more than anything, Olive Fairs,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me onto his lap.

                  I kissed him with everything I had, loving the feel of his muscles flexing under his skin when I touched him. “Let’s go to bed,” I whispered, pulling away.

                  “Tired?” he asked.

                  “No,” I admitted. “I don’t mean to go to sleep.”

                  Josh stared at me seriously for a full minute. “What are you saying, Olive?” he asked.

                  “I’m saying that I need you. I need you to show me how much you love me and I need to show you how much I love you,” I answered, my gaze never faltering.

                  “Are you sure?” he questioned. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. I won’t force you to do this.”

                  “I’m one hundred percent sure,” I said with conviction. I stood up and Josh followed. I shrieked as he swooped me into his arms and carried me into the house. Once we were in his bedroom, he set me down on my feet and wrapped his arms around my waist. He pressed his lips to my collarbone and I threaded my fingers in his hair. The next twenty minutes were filled with kisses, our clothes flying around the room, and Josh touching and kissing every inch of my body, making me tremble with absolute need for him.

                  “Josh, please,” I whimpered.

                  His head was currently between my thighs, pleasuring me with his mouth to the point where I thought I would pass out. Over and over he made me orgasm, until I couldn’t take it anymore. “I need you to be ready for me,” he explained, trailing kisses along my inner thighs. He slowly climbed up my body, letting his fingers take the place of where his mouth was. “I want this to be as painless as possible for you.”

                  “Please, Josh. I just want you so bad,” I begged.

                  He grabbed the condom off the nightstand and quickly slipped it on. This was it. We were finally doing this. “How do you want to do this?” he asked.

                  “I don’t know. Whichever way you think is best,” I responded.

                  “Well, I don’t know if you’ll want to do it my way,” he said.

                  “What way?”

                  “I personally think it’s best if you’re on top, that way you can control the speed and the depth,” he suggested. My eyes went wide.  _Put the virgin on top? That doesn’t make any sense._  “I understand that might make you uncomfortable, so if you want me on top, then that’s okay too. I promise I’ll go slow and be gentle.”

                  “I’m already nervous enough. I don’t want to be on top because that will just make me even more nervous,” I said, biting my lip.

                  “Okay,” he whispered. I kissed him hard and gasped, feeling him rubbing against me. “Look at me, sweetheart, and know that I love you.”

                  Our eyes locked and Josh began to push forward. He interlocked our hands near my head and I sucked in a deep breath. I could feel myself stretching over the expanse of him and it was kind of painful. He pushed deeper, making my eyes automatically close and bite my lip, a strained moan escaping my throat. Josh froze, letting go of my hands and placing a hand on my cheek. “Are you okay?” he asked.  _Oh God. It’s too much. I didn’t think it’d hurt this bad!_ “Olive? Talk to me,” he demanded urgently.

                  “G-give me a moment,” I whimpered.  _He’s not even all the way in! What is he, a porn star?_

“Sweetheart, look at me.” My eyes popped open, but I refused to let any tears fall. “I know it hurts. You need to relax. I promise it’ll be better if you take deep breaths and relax.” I did what Josh said, breathing deeply and trying my best to relax my body. “That’s it,” he whispered. He slowly pushed the rest of the way in and I dug my nails into his back. He gave me a few moments to adjust to him and I found when I was mostly relaxed, it didn’t hurt nearly as much.

                  “I’m okay,” I said. Nothing could prepare me for the feeling of Josh moving within me. My head fell back as he slowly moved back and forth, expertly circling his hips as they met mine. The pain had subsided to a dull ache, but I didn’t even care. Josh and I were finally making love and it was beautiful and special and just us.

                  “God, Olive, you feel so incredible. I love you so much,” he whispered, kissing me softly.

                  “I love you, too,” I whispered back, running my hands up and down his back. We held each other close, relishing being one as Josh let go, shuddering in my arms and kissing me between each breath. He slowly pulled out and disposed of the condom before taking me in his arms.

                  “Are you all right?” he asked.

                  “Yes,” I whispered. Sure, I was sore, but knowing that we had finally made love overrode that.

                  “Thank you for trusting me enough to show you how much I love you,” he said, running his fingers through my hair.

                  “Thank you for showing me what love and intimacy are,” I retorted.

                  Josh pulled me closer and kissed my forehead. “I love you, Olive Fairs.”

                  “I love you too, Josh Hutcherson. Now, when can we do that again?” I asked.

                  Josh laughed. “How about we give it a day or two to let you recover. After that, I might not ever let you leave this bed again.”

                  “Promise?”

                  “Always,” he replied.


	16. Imagine Being His Girlfriend

            “I wish we weren’t leaving tomorrow,” I said, staring up at the ceiling of Josh’s bedroom at his parent’s home in Kentucky.

            “I know. This week went by so fast,” Josh agreed, softly running his fingers up and down my bare arm.

            We had been awake for almost an hour, but we weren’t ready to get out of bed yet. Josh had taken me to his home in Kentucky to meet his parents and family for the first time last week and now our time here was almost over. “Your parents are the best. You’re lucky you have them,” I whispered.

            Josh pulled me closer and kissed my temple. “I wish I could have known yours. I wish I could thank them for bringing such an amazing and beautiful woman into the world.”

            “They would have loved you,” I assured him.

            “I know I would have loved them too,” he said with a smile. Josh rolled over so he was lying on top of me and kissed me sweetly. “I love you so much, Olive.”

            “I love you too, Josh.” I pulled his head back down for another kiss and pressed myself against him.

            “Didn’t get enough of me last night?” he asked cheekily.

            “I’ll never get enough of you,” I admitted.

            “Good, because the feeling is mutual.” His hands moved to my hips, pulling me tightly to him. My breathing was getting heavier and I couldn’t stop touching him; his arms, his back, his ass. “You want me, Baby?” he asked even though he damn well knew the answer.

            “No, Josh. I’m only rubbing myself against you like a dog in heat because I don’t want you,” I replied sarcastically.

            “Good thing we’re in the basement, because you’re about to start screaming my name,” he said matter of factly. Just as he was about to enter me, there was a knock at the door, making us freeze in place. “Yeah?” he called out.

            “It’s Connor,” his little brother called behind the door, jiggling the handle. Thankfully the door was locked. “Why is the door locked?”

            “Because we’re naked! What do you want?” he asked annoyed.

            “Oh, GROSS! Why are you naked?”

            “Why do you think? Go away!” Josh yelled.

            “But Mom told me to come and wake you guys! She wants to go out to breakfast,” he said.

            Josh sighed and scrubbed one hand across his face. “Fine! We’ll be up in five minutes!”

            “Okay! Don’t forget to get dressed!” Connor called.

            We heard his footsteps walking away from the door and I giggled. “I guess we’re going to have to finish this later,” I said.

            “No way. I still have a massive hard-on and I can feel how much you want me still,” he argued.

            “You said we’d be up there in five minutes,” I reminded him, although my body was aching to have him inside of me.

            “We better make this quick, then. Turn around,” he whispered. My excitement grew as I quickly turned on my stomach, raising my hips slightly off the mattress. This was the best position for us to have a quickie since the angle gave me multiple orgasms that came on fast and the more I orgasmed, the faster Josh did. His hand slid under me and between my legs, rubbing me softly. I moaned and gripped the pillow. “I guess we’re going to have to be quiet since they could walk down here at any time.”

            “You keep touching me like that and I won’t be able to stay quiet,” I said.

            “If you have to scream, do it in the pillow,” he told me before sliding into me. Our lovemaking was in no way slow or sweet. Josh pounded into me, whispering dirty things in my ear, and not ceasing his finger’s movements where we were joined to drive me over the edge five times in three minutes. When Josh let go during my sixth orgasm, both of us were screaming into a pillow, shuddering and twitching. “Fuck, Olive. That was amazing,” he panted, kissing my shoulder blade.

            My body was still shuddering uncontrollably and I was incapable of answering him. Our afterglow was short lived when there was another knock at the door.

            “It’s been five minutes!” Connor yelled through the thick wood.

            Josh groaned. “Give us five more! There are two of us and one bathroom!” Josh yelled, still out of breath.

            “Yeah right! You two were just busy doing it! I should tell mom,” he said.

            “Go right ahead. She’s the one that suggested we share a room so we wouldn’t have to sneak around to do it!” Josh replied and my eyes widened.

            “You suck! HURRY UP!” he screamed, stomping away again.

            “Little bastard,” Josh mumbled, slowly pulling out of me.

            I turned around and sat up, still trying to get my shaking under control. “Is that true?” I asked.

            “What?”

            “That your mom let us share a room so we didn’t have to sneak around to have sex?”

            “Yeah.”

            I looked at him completely horrified. “Oh my God, that’s so embarrassing! This is my first time meeting your parents and they know I’m fucking their son in their house!” I hid my face in my hands, feeling humiliated.

            “Olive, relax,” he said, pulling my hands away so he could look at me. “My parents are well aware that I’m no virgin. They know you weren’t my first and they know that we spend the night at each other’s places back in California. They know we’re having sex and they’re not going to stop us.”

            “Still! I’ve tried so hard to be respectful and seem somewhat innocent this whole time,” I said.

            “Olive, you’ve been completely respectful. Let’s not forget it was me that corrupted you and introduced you into the world of sex. You were this pure, innocent, virgin before I came along and you still have most of that innocence inside. The only difference now is I’ve turned you into this sex kitten that loves it when I talk dirty to her,” he said with a smirk.

            I smacked him as hard as I could in the arm and he laughed. “I’m glad you find this so amusing,” I hissed, getting out of bed and going into the bathroom. I slammed the door, which sent Josh into another round of laughter. “Jerk,” I mumbled. I quickly cleaned myself up, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. Since it was summer, I had a great tan and didn’t need to wear any makeup except a little eyeliner and some mascara. When I was done, opened the door to see Josh standing there dressed in jeans and a black V-neck t-shirt.

            “Don’t be mad, sweetheart. I love you and my parents love you. Nothing is going to change that,” he assured me.

            I sighed and let him hug me. “I love you too, you big goofball,” I said affectionately.

            “That’s my girl,” he whispered and pulled away. “Now get dressed. As much as I want you naked all the time, I’m the only one that get’s to see that. I don’t need any wandering eyes staring at this sexy body.”

            I rolled my eyes and walked over to my suitcase while he did what he had to do in the bathroom. I threw on a pair of jean shorts and a flowy tank top. I slipped into my flip-flops and waited thirty seconds for Josh to come out of the bathroom. We walked upstairs hand in hand to where his brother and parents were waiting for us in the kitchen.

            “There they are! Looks like they finally got out of bed!” Josh’s dad, Chris, commented with a smile.

            “Yeah, took them long enough,” Connor grumbled.

            “Oh, stop it you two. There’s nothing better than cuddling in bed in the morning,” his mom, Michelle, said.

            “Yeah, cuddling,” Connor said, rolling his eyes.

            “Olive and I love to cuddle on Saturday mornings. In fact, we love to cuddle  _every_  morning,” Josh said with a smile.

            I elbowed him in the side and blushed. “Seriously?” I asked quietly, through gritted teeth.

            “Stop it, Josh. We don’t need to hear about your sex life. Plus, you’re embarrassing Olive,” Michelle scolded.

            “Says the woman who told Connor and I not to go in mommy and daddy’s bedroom before ten thirty on the weekends,” Josh said.

            “Josh,” Chris warned, trying not to smile.

            “So, how about that breakfast? I’m starving!” I exclaimed, trying to change the subject.

            “All right, let’s go. Poor Olive is about to have a panic attack,” Michelle said. She was right. My heart was pounding out of my chest and I was having trouble breathing.

            “Easy, Sweetheart, I was just joking around. Pretty much just torturing my parents since I never really get to anymore,” he said soothingly.

            “That’s my full time job now,” Connor said.

            The five of us headed out the door and into the hot summer day. Josh and I followed his parents in his Audi to the diner a few towns away. Breakfast was full of conversation and laughs and thankfully no more talk about our sex life.

            “When can we come back?” I asked on our way back to the house.

            “Soon. I promise,” Josh swore, kissing the back of my hand. We spent the rest of the day laying out and cooling off in the pool. I chatted with his mom while Josh and Connor wrestled in the pool and tried to drown each other. Michelle reminded me so much of my own mother and I was grateful.

            “My heart broke when Josh told me your parents had passed away. You’re only twenty. That’s so young to have gone through a tragedy like that,” she said as we sipped on iced tea in the lounge chairs.

            “Yeah. That’s pretty much why I moved out to California. I had nothing holding me back in New York anymore and I needed a change. I’m glad I did though, or I never would have met Josh,” I said.

            “He loves you so much. I’ve never seen him like this over any other girl. Just you,” she told me. “I’m glad he has you especially with all the craziness in his life from The Hunger Games. He has you to keep him sane and grounded.”

            “That’s how I feel about him. I don’t even know how I was existing before I met him,” I admitted.

            Michelle smiled at me. “Well we’re so happy to have you as part of this family. If you ever need anything, we’re here for you,” she said warmly.

            “Thank you,” I said.

            At around six o’clock, we all showered from our day in the pool and sweating in the sun and sat out on the back patio and had a Kentucky style barbeque. I loved seeing Josh here. He was so relaxed and he didn’t have to hide anything. In Los Angeles, we always had to look over our shoulder to make sure we weren’t being followed or that we weren’t going to be blinded by the cameras of the paparazzi.

            We both loved it out there, but here is where we could truly be ourselves. After we finished dinner and the delicious French Apple pie Josh made for dessert, I headed back down to his room to pack. When I realized I had left my sunscreen in the kitchen, I went upstairs to get it, but stopped on the top step when I heard voices in the kitchen.

            “We’re going to miss you both so much,” Michelle said sadly. “She’s an incredible girl and we’re so happy you found her.”

            “Thanks, mom. She’s so beautiful and amazing, I have no idea how I got so lucky,” Josh replied.

            “Well next time you come home, you bring her with you again. She’s such a sweet girl and she fits right in,” Chris commented.

            “I think she’s the one, Josh,” his mom said.

            “I  _know_  she’s the one. No one will ever understand how much I love her,” he replied with conviction. My heart burst out of my chest at his confession and I headed back down to his room.  _I’m “the one.” Josh wants me forever._  I couldn’t help the smile that crossed my face. I was so happy that we loved each other equally and we were on the same page with where we wanted this relationship to go.

            “Hey you,” Josh whispered from the doorway.

            “Hey,” I said, still smiling. I got up and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his waste. He didn’t hesitate and pulled me closer to him. “I love you so much,” I whispered into his chest.

            Josh put a finger under my chin and lifted my face up so he was staring into my eyes. “I love you, too. I always will,” he promised, leaning down to kiss me. I was so happy to have Josh in my life and I couldn’t wait to see where the rest of our lives would take us. The only thing I knew was that we’d always be together.


	17. Imagine Josh Looking at you as you Hold Back Tears

                 _No. This can’t be happening. This isn’t supposed to happen._  I was lying on the bathroom floor of the house we were renting on the beach in Hawaii, counting backwards in my head and trying not to freak out and throw up again.

                “Olive?” Josh called through the door before knocking.

                “I’ll be out in a minute,” I said weakly.

                “You okay?” he asked.

                My stomach churned again and I quickly sat up, loudly expelling the contents of my stomach into the toilet for the second time. Josh immediately opened the door and I cursed myself for not locking it.

                “Sweetheart, are you sick?” he asked worriedly, crouching behind me to hold my hair back.

                “That Korean food from last night is not agreeing with me,” I lied.

                “My poor baby,” he said sympathetically, rubbing my back. I threw up once more and flushed the toilet. Josh stepped back and I laid back down, letting the cool tile soothe me. “I’m going to call out today,” he said.

                I shook my head. “No, you have important scenes to film today. I’ll be fine,” I told him.

                “Olive, you’re not feeling well. Let me take care of you,” he argued.

                “Josh, seriously. I’m going to be fine. It’s just a little bit of food poisoning so there’s nothing you can do. Just go to work and I’ll most likely be better by the time you get home,” I said with finality.

                Josh sighed. “Okay, I’ll go in, but if you start feeling any worse, you call me and I will be home before you know it,” he said seriously.

                “I will. I promise,” I swore.

                Josh kissed me on the forehead and went to get me a glass of water before heading off to set. The reason we were in this amazing house in Hawaii was because Josh was filming Catching Fire, the second movie in The Hunger Games trilogy. They were on a very set schedule and the last thing they needed to do was lose a full day of filming because I was having morning sickness.  _Stop it. You don’t even know if you’re really pregnant. Oh, who am I kidding. I’m late, I feel off, I’m having strange cravings, and I can’t stop vomiting. Stop it, Olive. This could be just some strangely glorified version of PMS because you’re so late._  I laid on the bathroom floor for the next fifteen minutes arguing with myself until my stomach felt okay enough for me to get up.

                “Ugh,” I groaned, seeing how awful I looked in the mirror. I quickly washed my face, brushed my teeth, and put my hair up in a ponytail. I needed to find out today if I really was pregnant. “Time to go buy a million tests,” I mumbled to myself. I went into the bedroom and stripped off my pajamas, staring at myself in the mirror. I turned to the side and stared at my completely flat stomach, looking for any sort of bump, but there was none. I looked full on at myself and saw that my breasts were fuller, my nipples a darker pink than normal. Of course Josh had noticed the night before, but I told him I was probably just gaining some weight and it was going to my boobs.

                “I’m the worst liar ever,” I chastised myself. After examining my entire body for any more signs that I was knocked up, I threw on a sundress, grabbed my keys and sunglasses, and headed out the door. I had rented a Jeep for our stay here so I could go out and do what I wanted while Josh was away on set. I drove to the nearest pharmacy and prayed that I wouldn’t be recognized or photographed buying a pregnancy test. The press knew exactly who I was and there were quite a few pictures of Josh and I on the island over the past few weeks.

                “Do you need help finding anything?” the woman behind the counter asked as I walked in. I looked around and made sure there was no one else around. I sighed in relief when I realized I was the only one in the store.

                “Yes please. Can you tell me where I can find a pregnancy test?” I asked nervously.

                “Aisle four,” she said, pointing to the left.

                “Thank you,” I replied. I quickly made my way to aisle four and scanned all the pregnancy tests. The only one I recognized was First Response and it was because the commercials were always on television. “I guess this one is promising,” I said to myself, grabbing three of them. I quickly walked back to the counter and placed them in front of the woman at the register.

                “You sure you need all three?” she asked.

                “I need to be sure,” I explained.

                “Trust me, Sweetheart, your body will let you know, but if it makes you feel better, you can take all of them. Either way, the tests will either all say positive or negative,” she said. She rang me up and I handed her my credit card. The tests came out to sixty dollars and I cringed at how expensive they were.

                “Good luck, Sweetheart. No matter which result you get, you will be fine,” she said soothingly.

                “Thank you,” I said and grabbed the bag. I drove as fast as I could back to the house, but before I could go to the bathroom, my cell phone rang. It was Josh.

                “Hi,” I answered.

                “Hey, Baby. Are you feeling better?” he asked.

                “Yes, a lot better,” I replied.

                “Good. Try and get some rest today. Maybe go lay out on the beach and don’t eat anything too heavy.”

                “I’ll try. What are you up to?”

                “At the moment I am on a very short break. I’m about to go film the scene where I die for a few minutes by hitting the force field,” he told me.

                “Sounds exciting. So you get to have mouth to mouth done to you by someone other than me?” I asked with a smirk.

                “Unfortunately,” he said with a laugh. I heard someone call his name in the background. “All right, we’re about to start up. I’ll be home in a few hours. I love you!”

                “I love you, too. Good luck!” I exclaimed and hung up the phone. I stared at the offending bag of pregnancy tests and took a deep breath. “No time like the present,” I said to myself. I grabbed the bag and went into the bathroom. I saw that there were two tests per box and I decided to take all six. _I hope I have enough pee for this._  I peed on each stick for five seconds, pretty much forcing it out of me by the last two, and then set them on the counter for the dreaded three minute wait. I sat on the lid of the toilet, shaking and more nervous than I’d ever been in my entire life.

                “Please say negative,” I begged to the ceiling. I slowly stood up when my time had run out and quickly looked down at the sink. My knees almost buckled as I read the six tests, all with the same result; Positive. I sunk to the ground and buried my face in my hands.  _Shit. This can’t be happening! Not now! We’re not married and we’re too young! I can’t be a mother now! What about Josh’s career? He doesn’t have time for a kid now. Hell, I don’t have time for a kid now either!_  After freaking out for about five minutes, I threw all six tests in the garbage and quickly ran to the computer, Googling the closest OB/GYN.  _This can’t be right. They have to be false positives._  I found an office two miles up the road and called them.

                “Doctor Ulay’s office, how may I help you?” a woman answered.

                “Hi, I’m not a patient of Doctor Ulay, but I have an emergency. I was wondering if maybe I could come in and just get a blood test to see if I’m pregnant,” I told her.

                “Let me just check the schedule,” she said. I heard the clicking of the keyboard in the background. “Well he has an opening in a half hour if you can make that?”

                “Yes. A half hour is perfect.”

                “What’s your name?” she asked.

                “Olive Fairs.”

                “And that’s just a blood test. No exam?”

                “Correct.”

                “All right, Ms. Fairs. We will see you in a half hour.”

                For the next fifteen minutes, I sat outside on the lounge chair and attempted to convince myself that I wasn’t pregnant and that the blood test would say negative. I made my way down the road to the doctor’s office, praying once again that no one would notice me. When I walked inside, I checked in at the desk and went to sit down and fill out paperwork. I looked around the small waiting room and saw three heavily pregnant women, all looking uncomfortable and two of them who had other children with them. _Dear God, I don’t think I can handle this._  I finished filling out my forms and handed them back to the receptionist. Five minutes later, I was called back to an exam room.

                “So we’re just testing your blood?” the nurse asked, tying the rubber band around my bicep.

                “Yes. I just need to know for sure if I’m pregnant,” I said.

                “Did you take a home pregnancy test before this?” she inserted the needle into my vein and I winced, wishing more than anything that Josh was there to hold my hand.

                “Yes. Six of them. They all came back positive.”

                “Well there can be false positives in home pregnancy tests, but if you took six of them and they all said positive, then there’s a minimal chance that they’re wrong,” she explained.

                “How minimal?” I asked.

                “One in a billion.” I swallowed hard and she extracted a vial a blood from me before placing a band aid over the injection area and removing the rubber band. “All right, the doctor will be in with the results in a few minutes.”

                “Thank you,” I said as she left. I stared at all the scary charts and models around the room for five minutes before a middle aged Hawaiian man with salt and pepper hair entered the room.

                “Hello, Olive Fairs? I’m Doctor Ulay,” he said, holding out his hand for me to shake. I did and he pulled a chair over and sat in front of me. “Well we got the results of your blood test and you are indeed pregnant.”

                My whole world felt like it was crashing in on me and I buried my face in my hands. “You’re sure?” I asked.

                “Positive. Your paperwork here says that you are currently not on birth control. Can you think of a time recently when you had unprotected sex?” he asked.

                I knew immediately. Josh and I were out to dinner and had a bit too much to drink. When we got home, we had sex in the hallway, not able to make it to the bedroom and since we were both drunk, we completely forgot a condom. The next morning we were both so hung over that we didn’t even give it a thought. “Yes. With my boyfriend about six weeks ago,” I whispered.

                “That was probably when you conceived, but we can’t be sure without an internal sonogram. Would you like to have one?”

                “We’re going back to LA in two weeks, so I’ll schedule one with my normal OB/GYN then,” I said.

                “All right,” he said. He opened a cabinet behind his head and pulled out a jar of what seemed to be pills. “Here are some pre-natal vitamins. You can buy them at any pharmacy, but take this one. Make sure to take them every day. Stay away from alcohol, smoking, and fish,” he told me.

                I nodded. “Thank you,” I said.

                “Good luck, Ms. Fairs, and congratulations,” he said with a soft smile before leaving the room. I put the vitamins in my bag and left the office, thanking the receptionist on my way out. I headed back to the house in a complete daze, unable to cry or scream or do anything.  _I’m pregnant. I’m really pregnant. Josh and I are going to have a baby._  Those were the only thoughts to run through my brain. I pulled into the driveway and saw that Josh was already back from set.  _Fuck, how do I tell him?_  I took a deep breath and walked through the front door.

                “Olive?” he called out.

                “Yeah,” I answered. Josh walked into the front hallway from the bedroom and smiled at me.

                “Where did you go?” he asked.

                “Um, doctor’s office,” I replied.

                His face grew concerned. “Are you still not feeling well, Baby?” he asked, stepping closer to me. I shook my head and stepped away from him. I needed to tell him, but my heart was breaking. This could completely change his career. This could completely change  _us_. “Olive, what’s wrong?”

                “I can’t,” I whispered, trying my hardest not to cry.

                “What did the doctor say? Is it bad? Are you really sick?” he asked, starting to freak out.

                “I don’t know what to say! This is just… I don’t… I can’t say it!” I exclaimed, walking around him and going into the bedroom.

                Josh came up behind me and pulled me down on the bed so we were sitting facing each other. “Olive, please. You’re scaring me here. Just tell me,” he begged.

                I closed my eyes and shook my head. “I can’t,” I repeated.

                Josh placed his hands on my cheeks, holding my face until I opened my eyes. “Whisper it to me,” he said.

                I took a deep breath and grabbed the back of his head, placing my lips on his ear, “I’m pregnant,” I whispered before pulling back slowly.

                Josh was completely shocked. He stared at me for a few moments and I could almost see the cogs in his brain turning as he tried to process what I had told him. I held back tears as we stared at each other, both of us trying to come to terms with our situation. He took a deep breath and pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. “It’s going to be all right, Olive,” he whispered. I completely lost it, crying for the first time since I got the news. Josh and I held each other as I cried and he did his best to comfort me.

                “I’m so sorry,” I sobbed.

                Josh pulled back and looked into my eyes. “No, Olive. Don’t you dare apologize. We both did this. We are both the reason why there’s new life and that’s nothing to be sorry for.”

                I was completely confused and I’m sure he saw it in the expression on my face. “You’re not mad? But what about your career? We’re both so busy and you’re in the middle of shooting this massive franchise and I don’t know how we’re going to fit a baby in there!”

                “Of course I’m not mad, Olive. I know the timing is completely off, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you and have a family with you. Sure, it’s happening a lot sooner than either of us planned, but I love you and you come first. We can do this. We are well beyond financially stable and I know that we can both handle this. Both of our careers will continue on as they are now, we’ll just have one more amazing little person to share it all with,” he reasoned.

                “Are you sure?” I asked.

                “I’ve never been so sure in my life. You’re it for me, Olive,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my lips.

                “You’re it for me too, Josh,” I admitted.

                Josh smiled widely and laid me down, He lifted my dress up to the bottom of my breasts and placed a soft kiss on my bare, flat stomach, causing me to giggle. “I love you, too, little peanut,” he whispered to our child. He rested his chin on my belly button and smiled up at me as I ran my hands through his blonde hair. “I can’t wait to see your stomach grow. I can’t wait to feel her kick,” he confessed, kissing my stomach again.

                “Her?” I asked.

                “Yes. I’m one hundred percent sure we’re having a beautiful baby girl,” he said.

                “What if it’s a boy?”

                “It won’t be. This little one is definitely a girl,” he replied confidently.

                “Well then, she will definitely be a daddy’s girl,” I mused.

                “Of course she will. I’m going to spoil her rotten and love her to pieces.”

                I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Don’t spoil her too much. We don’t want her to turn into a Paris Hilton.”

                “She won’t. She’s going to be the sweetest and most beautiful little girl in the entire world.”

                I smiled widely as Josh talked to my stomach, showering it with kisses until I pulled him up to me. “You’re already the best dad in the world and she’s not even close to being born yet. I love you,” I said.

                “I love you, too. You’re the most gorgeous and amazing mother to ever walk the planet,” he told me, kissing me.

                “Better not let your mother hear you say that!” I scolded playfully.

                “Well you’re carrying my child. Of course you’re going to be the best mother.” Josh and I spent the rest of the day and night in bed, his hands constantly on my stomach as we kissed and talked about our future, excited to have someone else to share it with.


	18. Imagine Being Josh's PA

                “Whoa! Let me help you with that!”

                I struggled to hold onto the broken down cardboard boxes, but with no such luck. They slid from my grasp onto the front lawn of my new home. I looked up and saw a guy dressed in basketball shorts and a t-shirt making his way towards me. “Thanks,” I sighed. “I think I bit off more than I could chew when I brought them all out here at once.”

                I bent down to retrieve them and once he was in front of me, he bent down as well. “It’s no problem. Just moved in?” he asked.

                “Yeah, this morning,” I replied. I looked over and cocked my head to the side. He looked extremely familiar. He had short brown hair that was currently matted to his forehead with sweat, sparkling brown eyes, an incredibly defined jaw, and a contagious smile. He was very attractive even though he was most likely a lot younger than me.

                “Well, welcome to the neighborhood,” he said. We picked up the boxes and brought them over to the curb, putting them down next to the brand new garbage pails. “I’m Josh Hutcherson. I live next door,” he introduced himself, holding his hand out for me to shake.

                “Olive Fairs,” I answered, with a smile. His hand in mine sent tingles up and down my spine, making my heart race.

                “So, Olive, where are you from originally?” he asked.

                “New York City,” I replied. “What about you? Are you a true California boy?”

                He laughed. “Nope, I’m originally from a small town in northern Kentucky, but I moved out here when I was nine years old with my mom. She just recently moved back home to be with my dad and brother, so I’m out here on my own now with my roommate, Andre.”

                “Kentucky, huh? Well, that would explain the Christmas lights and the couch on your porch,” I said, looking over at his house.

                “Absolutely. Tried and true Kentucky blue. So what made you move out to LA?”

                I shrugged, looking down at the grass. “I just needed a change. Why did you move out here?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from myself.

                “Work. I’ve been acting since I was nine and there’s not exactly a market for it where I’m from, so I packed up and headed out here,” he replied.

                I looked at him intently before recognition came to me. “I know you! You were in The Kids Are All Right!” I exclaimed.

                He blushed and smiled. “Yes I was.”

                “Such a great movie. I love it,” I complimented.

                “Thank you. It was a lot of fun to make.”

                “What movies have you been in recently? I feel like I’ve seen you in a trailer or something, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

                “Well, I just did this movie called The Hunger Games that came out in March, but I had blonde hair in it so maybe that’s why I was difficult to recognize,” he said.

                “That was it! I knew it was something big. I’ve never seen it, but friends of mine said it was amazing.”

                Josh smiled. “Well if you ever want to borrow it, you can just knock on my door. Need a cup of sugar and a DVD? I’ve got you covered.”

                I laughed. “Thank you very much, Josh. I might have to take you up on that offer.”

                “I hope you will,” he said. I blushed and he smiled widely. “Do you need help with anything else?”

                I shook my head. “Not at the moment. Now it’s pretty much just time to put everything where it belongs.”

                “Are you living here all by yourself?” he asked.

                “No. My friend, Anna, moved out here with me, although her reason is because her boyfriend moved out here two months ago. She just ran out to the store to buy some cleaning supplies,” I explained.

                “Nice. Well, I am all sweaty and gross from basketball, so I’m going to jump in a shower. Feel free to ring my doorbell if you need anything,” he offered. “Nice meeting you, Olive.”

                “Nice meeting you, too, Josh, and thank you,” I said. He headed back across the lawn over to his house and I walked up the walkway to mine, both of us stealing glances at each other the entire way. I went back inside and continued to unpack, unable to stop thinking about Josh.

                “Why are you smiling so big?” Anna asked, scaring me half to death.

                “Jesus! Give a girl a bit of a warning before you sneak up on her!” I cried, holding my hand over my heart.

                “Dude, I wasn’t exactly quiet when I walked in. You’re just in a dream world. Now what’s with the big, goofy, smile?”

                “I met our next door neighbor,” I said.

                “Let me guess; he’s hot and you’re fantasizing about his penis,” she said.

                “What the fuck, Anna? I was not fantasizing about his penis!” I exclaimed, turning bring red. “He is hot though.”

                “What’s his name?”

                “Josh. Josh Hutcherson to be exact,” I said.

                “The kid from The Hunger Games? He’s our next door neighbor?” she asked.

                I nodded and proceeded to tell her about how he helped me with the boxes and how he offered to help with anything else we might need. “He’s so nice,” I said.

                “He offered to help you in any way he could? He totally wants to fuck you!” she exclaimed happily.

                “We just met and he did  _not_  say it like that. He was just being friendly!”

                Anna rolled her eyes. “I’m sure he was. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t offering sex.”

                “Whatever. We are not talking about this anymore. Did you get the cleaning supplies?” I asked. She help up a full shopping bag and nodded. “Okay, let’s get this place cleaned up.”

                “Let’s make it fast. I’m staying at Kyle’s tonight,” she said.

                I gave her a pointed look. “You’re making me sleep in the new house all by myself on our first night?” I asked.

                “I haven’t seen him in weeks! Don’t be scared, Olive. You can always just invite Josh over to cuddle and keep you safe,” she said.

                I rolled my eyes and grabbed a sponge. “You’re an idiot,” I mumbled. The two of us proceeded to clean the house from top to bottom and finished setting up the furniture and putting everything away. “Now it feels like home,” I commented, surveying the house.

                “I’m so glad we moved out here. Now, you get to bed, missy! You start your new job in the morning!” she said happily.

                “Yeah, I am pretty beat. I’m going to hop in a shower first. I guess you’ll shower and stuff at Kyle’s?” I asked.

                “Yeah. I’ll be home tomorrow after work, all right?”

                I said goodnight to her and headed into the shower as she headed out the door. The warm water felt heavenly on my sore muscles and helped me clear my mind. I thought about the new job I would be starting tomorrow. I was going to be a personal assistant to a famous actor, but the firm I got the job through wouldn’t tell me who. I was meeting him at his publicist’s office tomorrow to start my first day. I was super nervous, but also excited. I prayed that the actor wouldn’t some stuck up Hollywood jerk. After my shower, I dried my hair and put on some pajamas.

                “Ugh. How did I forget about this?” I mumbled to myself, picking up a garbage bag filled with dirty rags from cleaning. I tied it up and went outside to throw it out. Our curb was filled with bags and boxes of garbage and it took me a bit to fit this one in somewhere.  _Good thing it’s being picked up tomorrow._  As I was walking back to the house, I looked over at Josh’s place, seeing that the purple Christmas lights were lit up and he was sitting on the couch on his porch, playing with his phone. I took a deep breath and walked over.

                He looked up as he heard my footsteps and smiled. “Hey, Olive,” he greeted.

                “Hey. What are you up to?” I asked.

                “Not much, just unwinding for the day, going through my emails, and going over my schedule for the week. What about you?”

                “Just took out the trash. I’m heading off to bed in a little bit. First day at the new job tomorrow,” I said nervously.

                Josh patted the cushion next to his as an invite to sit. I did without a second thought. “What kind of job is it?” he asked.

                “A PA job. I don’t know who it’s for though. They refused to tell me. I just hope it’s not some Hollywood douche bag who thinks his shit doesn’t stink,” I admitted.

                “I hope for your sake it’s not either. If it is though, you can always quit,” he said.

                “That’s true. The firm I went through will just find me someone else. Do you have a PA?” I asked.

                Josh shook his head. “No. I don’t really need one. I don’t want anyone at my beck and call. I can do things for myself. I don’t need someone following me around, taking orders, and fetching me things when I am fully capable of doing it myself.”

                “You are one in a million, Josh. I honestly never set out to be a PA. I went to college for journalism, but there are no jobs out here in that area right now, so I’m stuck with being a PA. It’s paying really good money so that’s a plus,” I reasoned.

                “Well, I hope you don’t give up looking for a journalist job. I’d hate to see you waste away under the pressures of some asshole actor,” he said.

                “I’ll never give up,” I said confidently.

                Josh smiled. “I like your spark. I feel like LA is just filled with a bunch of soulless, plastic, robots. I have a strong feeling you will never be one of them. I’m glad to see someone else with an immunity to it,” he mused.

                “I am the complete opposite of an LA girl. I’ve been out here a bunch of times and it’s been really tough making friends, especially with girls. All they do is compete against each other and talk behind each other’s backs. It’s sick.”

                “Tell me about it. I used to date them. After a while, they start to drain you and try to turn you into one of them. I promised myself that will never happen,” he said.

                “Me too,” I whispered.

                Josh smiled at me. “Would you maybe want to get dinner with me tomorrow night?” he asked.

                I was completely taken aback. “You mean, like a date?”

                “Yes, like a date. I want to get to know you more, Olive.”

                I blushed and nodded. “I feel the same,” I admitted.

                “All right, so tomorrow night is okay?” he asked.

                I nodded. “Tomorrow night is perfect. Since it’s my first day, they said I shouldn’t be home later than four o’clock.”

                Josh smiled. “Perfect. Is five o’clock all right?”

                “See you then,” I said. We exchanged phone numbers and said goodnight before I headed back to my house and went to bed. I tossed and turned most of the night from excitement and nervousness about starting my new job and going on a date with Josh. I must have fallen asleep at some point because my alarm was wailing at eight in the morning, waking me from my restless sleep. I tiredly got ready as quickly as I could before running out the door, simultaneously shoving a granola bar in my mouth and drinking coffee from my thermos. Luckily I lived five minutes away from the publicist’s office I needed to go to so I didn’t have to sit in morning LA traffic. I parked in the lot, smoothed my dress out, and headed into the building.

                “Hi, I’m Olive Fairs here to meet with Melissa Kates,” I told the receptionist. She gave me an annoyed look before telling me to take a seat. I sat in the waiting room for twenty minutes, noticing that the receptionist never let Melissa know I was here. I sighed and pulled my Blackberry out, typing a quick email to her to let her know I’d been waiting for twenty minutes and the receptionist never let her know. Two minutes later, a woman about thirty five came in from down the hallway, looking pissed.

                “Jesus, Alison! I told you to call me when she got here,” she said to the receptionist.

                “Well she only just walked in the door,” she lied, giving me a dirty look.

                “I guess that’s why she emailed me saying she’s been waiting for twenty minutes. I know you’re pissed off that she got the job you wanted, but grow up! If you ever do this again, you’ll be collecting unemployment,” she threatened. The woman turned towards me and her demeanor changed drastically. “Olive Fairs?” she asked.

                “Yes. Melissa?” I asked.

                She smiled and nodded, holding her hand out for me to shake. I stood up and shook it and she led me back to her office. “I am so sorry about that. Alison really wanted the job you have so she thought you’d be fired if she made it seem like you were late,” she explained.

                “She seems like a pleasant human being,” I said sarcastically.

                Melissa laughed. “Oh yes. Very pleasant. You can go right ahead and let her have it if you want. She’s just some spoiled LA rich kid. She wouldn’t know how to handle herself or retort if a well-educated New Yorker ripped her a new one. I’m sure you don’t take shit from anyone,” she said.

                “I definitely do not,” I agreed.

                “So, how was your move? How are you liking LA so far?” she asked.

                “The move went great. Everything is pretty much in order. LA is okay. I think I need to get used to girls like Alison, but other than that, I’m enjoying myself.”

                “Great! Well, my client should be here any moment and you can meet him. He doesn’t know he’s getting a PA, but he honestly needs one. I’m doing all I can, but I can’t travel everywhere with him and be on movie sets. He’s not the only actor I represent,” she explained.

                “So I’ll be his first PA?” I asked.

                “Yes, but not a traditional PA. I know you have experience in Public Relations, so what I’m really asking you to do is be another publicist for him. You’ll travel everywhere with him, be on his movie sets, be at his premieres, things like that. I’ll just continue to handle all the paper work back here,” she said.

                “I understand you can’t be in two places at once, but is there a reason why you’re doing this now?” I wondered.

                She smiled. “I’m almost fourteen weeks pregnant,” she said, showing off her very small, unnoticeable bump. “I can’t take care of myself and my family if I’m always gone.”

                “Congratulations!” I exclaimed. “I’ll be happy to do whatever you need me to do,” I said.

                “Thank you,” she replied. There was a knock at the door and Melissa called for them to come in. The door opened and Alison’s head peaked in.

                “He’s here,” she said breathlessly.

                Melissa rolled her eyes. “I don’t need you to come back here and tell me that. You should know by now to just send him back,” she replied. Alison disappeared and Melissa sighed. “She’s in love with him and he won’t give her the time of day. Good boy,” she mumbled to herself.

                “Who?” I asked. Before she could answer, the door opened again.

                “Hey, Mel.” I recognized the voice and turned around. There stood none other than Josh Hutcherson, looking completely sexy in a pair of dark wash jeans and a t-shirt with his sunglasses tucked into the neck of it. He looked at me, completely confused. “Olive?”

                “You two know each other?” Melissa asked.

                “Yeah… I just moved in next door to him,” I replied, just as confused as he was. Melissa shuffled through the papers on her desk before finding my resume. “I knew your address looked familiar!” she exclaimed.

                “Isn’t that unethical?” I heard Alison ask. She was standing right behind Josh and it made him jump and quickly move further into the room.

                “What, did you just open a dictionary on the way over here?” Melissa asked her. “No, it is not unethical to live next door to someone you’re working with, but it is unethical for you to hear classified information, so go back to your desk immediately.”

                Alison shot one more look at Josh before scampering away. “She is so annoying!” Josh complained.

                “Tell me about it. She made Olive here sit in the waiting room for twenty minutes to make it seem like she was late,” Melissa said.

                “Please tell her that I specifically said I do not want her working for me,” Josh begged. Melissa nodded in agreement. “Now, what is going on? I thought you were PA-ing for someone?” he asked me.

                “I am. I’m apparently PA-ing for you,” I replied.

                Josh looked at Melissa for an explanation. “Josh, you know I’m pregnant and I have other clients and I can’t do the things for you that I used to. Olive will not be your PA in a traditional sense. Olive will be the new me. I will still be your publicist and handle all of your paper work and whatnot, but Olive will be the one travelling with you and on your movie sets and at your premieres,” she explained.

                “I won’t be fetching things for you, Josh,” I said, using his term from the night before. “I’ll just be doing your scheduling and PR. I promise,” I said.

                Josh breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, I can deal with that,” he said.

                “Great! Why don’t you two go get better acquainted? Have lunch on the company,” Melissa suggested.

                “All right. Thanks Mel,” Josh said.

                “Thank you so much,” I said.

                “No problem. I will see you both tomorrow to go over what’s going to happen from here on out,” she informed us. Josh and I left the office, but not without getting a dirty look from Alison.

                “Bye, Josh!” she called. Josh didn’t acknowledge her as we walked out onto Ventura Boulevard.

                I giggled. “She has the biggest crush on you,” I teased.

                Josh looked disgusted. “I’d rather lick a dirty toilet than date her.”

                “So, Josh. What shall we do?” I asked.

                “How about we have a day date and a night date? The day date will be under business pretenses of course, and the night date will just be Olive and Josh, neighbors and hopefully more,” he said.

                I blushed. “Okay,” I agreed. Josh and I spent the day driving around LA, taking in the sights before grabbing lunch at a small place in Malibu. “Is this okay for us to be doing?” I asked.

                “Mel told us to have lunch on the company,” Josh said.

                “No, I meant is this okay for us to, I guess date, even though I work for you? What if something goes wrong? I don’t want to complicate anything,” I admitted.

                “With me. You’re working with me. Trust me, I’m worried too, but at the same time, this feels so right. I’ve never felt this before with anyone else.”

                “I haven’t either,” I confessed. “Just, if things start to not work out, can we just agree now that we’ll just be friends and colleagues?”

                “Deal,” he said. The day faded into the afternoon and we headed back to our houses. Both of us quickly changed into sneakers and something comfortable at his request and met outside by his car. Josh was carrying a cooler and a backpack with him. “Dinner,” he said, gesturing to it.

                Josh drove us into the Zuma / Trancas Canyons, parking his car in one of the lots near the trails. “What are we doing here?” I asked.

                “Having our date,” he said. We hiked up to the top of one of the canyons, talking and joking the entire way. Josh held my hand and my heart was racing the entire time. Once we made it to the top, my breath was taken away. You could see the beach down below, the sun low in the sky and about to hit the horizon.

                “This is amazing!” I exclaimed.

                Josh smiled. “What can I say? I’m a bit of a romantic,” he said. He spread a blanket from his backpack down across a soft patch of grass and we sat down, eating sandwiches and watching the sunset over Malibu.

                “Thank you, Josh. This is the best first date I’ve ever had,” I admitted.

                “Me too. I really like you, Olive, and I want to keep seeing you,’ he said, moving closer to me.

                “I’d like that,” I whispered. Josh leaned in and kissed me softly. It was definitely the best kiss I’ve experienced and I never wanted it to stop. So far, being Josh’s PA was turning out to be better than I could have ever hoped for.


	19. Imagine Josh Holding Your Hand Tightly

                I giggled loudly, placing my hand over my swollen stomach as I felt the baby moving around. It almost felt like a goldfish was swimming inside of me. Josh eagerly placed his hand near mine, hoping to feel something and became delighted when he felt the gentle movements.

                “Someone’s excited,” he commented.

                “I hope he’s in a good position for the ultra sound,” I said.

                “I’m sure  _she_  will be.”

                Josh and I were currently heading to my doctor’s appointment to have an ultrasound and hopefully find out what the sex was going to be. Josh was sure it was a girl, but I thought it was going to be a boy. Either way, we would be ecstatic. I was currently twenty-one weeks pregnant and feeling fantastic, except for my current full bladder. “I have to pee so bad,” I complained for probably the hundredth time since we got in the car.

                “That’s because you drank all that water,” he said, pulling into the parking lot.

                “Well, they told me to. They said I needed a full bladder in order to do the ultrasound. This sucks so much,” I frowned. Josh got out of the car and came around the passenger side, opening my door for me and helping me out. I almost wet my pants as the baby’s full weight rested on my bladder.

                “You do not look happy at all right now,” he said.

                “No kidding. Come on, let’s get this over with so I can pee,” I said miserably. Josh and I walked into the building and took the elevator up to my doctor’s office.

                “Olive Fairs to see Doctor Langer,” Josh said to the receptionist. She looked up at him and gasped. I rolled my eyes.  _Of course the receptionist is a fan girl._

                “Um, you’re Josh Hutcherson,” she stated.

                Josh laughed. “Yes, I am.”

                She shook her head and smiled. “What are you doing here?” she asked flirtatiously.

                I rolled my eyes and moved next to him. “We’re here for my appointment. He told you that already. Now, I really have to pee so is there any way you can do this quickly?” I asked.

                She took one look at me and her eyes widened. “I thought the whole you becoming a dad thing was a joke,” she said out loud.

                “Why would it be a joke?” Josh asked, clearly offended.

                “Well, I just thought it was one of those trying to trick you into being a baby-daddy things like what happened with Justin Bieber.”

                This girl was clearly a delusional idiot and I had absolutely no patience. Apparently, Josh didn’t either. “I’m proud that I’m becoming a father. My personal life is absolutely none of your business so I’d appreciate it if you just did your job and told the doctor that Olive Fairs was here,” he said, obviously annoyed.

                “Quickly please, because I’m about to pee on the carpet.”

                The girl looked at me in shock before smirking. She picked up a small, sample sized cup with a lid and placed it on the counter in front of me. “You can use the bathroom, but you can only go enough to fill up the cup,” she told me.

                Now I was pissed. “I really hope you’re joking. Once I start, I won’t be able to stop.”

                She shrugged. “You need a full bladder for the ultrasound.”

                I grabbed the cup and stormed over to the bathroom. The next two minutes were excruciating as I slowly relieved myself just enough to fill the cup. Once I was done, I poured it out and washed my hands, trying hard not to cry. When I walked out, Josh was sitting in the waiting room, checking his phone. I went and sat down next to him, trying my hardest not to cry.

                “You okay?” he asked, concerned.

                “No. That was awful,” I whispered, burying my head in his shoulder. He grabbed my hand and squeezed, trying to comfort me. Less than a minute later, I heard my name and I enthusiastically stood up, glad my discomfort would be over soon. Josh and I followed the nurse back to one of the exam rooms where I was weighed, had my blood pressure taken, and was prepped for the ultrasound. I laid on the table, my stomach exposed while Josh sat at my side, holding my hand.

                “I’m excited to see what she looks like now. The last time you got an ultrasound was when you were eight weeks and she was just a little peanut then. Now she’ll have features,” he said excitedly.

                “I know. I have a feeling he’s going to be handsome, just like his father.”

                Josh laughed and shook his head.  “No, she’s going to be beautiful, just like her mother,” he argued.

                I was about to retort when the doctor walked in. “Hi, Olive. How are you feeling today?” Doctor Langer asked me. She was a middle aged woman with a kind smile that put me at ease.

                “I feel like my bladder is going to explode,” I replied. “You remember my boyfriend, Josh?” I asked.

                Josh stood up and shook her hand. “Of course I do. Nice to see you, Josh,” she said.

                “You too.” He sat back down, grasping my hand once again.

                “All right, so we’re going to do the ultrasound. It shouldn’t take any longer than fifteen to twenty minutes and your bladder is going to hate me even more, but just bear with me,” she instructed. “Do you want to know the sex?”

                “Yes,” Josh and I replied together. Doctor Langer squeezed a tube of cold jelly on my stomach, making me shiver and grimace. She turned the machine on and grabbed the Doppler that looked like a bar of soap, using it to spread the gel around my stomach.

                “Any predictions on what you think the baby will be?” she asked.

                “Well I think it’ll be a boy, but Josh thinks it’s a girl,” I replied.

                “I don’t think, I know,” Josh retorted.

                “Well, one of you will be right and hopefully the baby is in a good position for us to see.” The screen was fuzzy for a moment as she moved the Doppler around. Then, almost out of nowhere, a profile came into view. Josh squeezed my hand as we were mesmerized by the little face on the screen. “There’s your baby. I’ll print out photos for you after I take measurements,” Doctor Langer said. She moved the Doppler again and this time we saw what looked like a string of pearls.

                “Is that the baby’s spine?” Josh asked.

                “Yes. So far everything is measuring correct for your due date and everything is normal.

                “What’s that fluttering?” I asked, pointing at the little space that was rapidly moving.

                “That’s your baby’s heartbeat.”

 I smiled, seeing that flicker of life inside of me. The first time Josh and I heard the heartbeat was when I was ten weeks. It was the first time I’d ever seen Josh cry when he wasn’t extremely upset. The look of joy on his face was comforting to me. Now, we were seeing that beautiful, little heart beat and it made everything even more real. I looked over at Josh who looked as if someone had given him the world. He was so happy.

“Are you ready to find out the sex?” Doctor Langer questioned.

“So ready,” Josh said.

She focused in on a particular section, but I couldn’t tell what it was. “Well, it looks like daddy was right. It’s a girl. Congratulations,” she informed us.

I looked over at Josh, completely over the moon. “We’re going to have a daughter,” I whispered.

“I knew it. A beautiful little girl who’s going to look just like her mother,” he whispered back, leaning forward and kissing me. The doctor finished taking measurements and printed out some pictures for us to take home.

“Am I done?” I asked.

                “Yes. There are towels in the restroom you can use to clean yourself up and you can finally use the toilet,” she said with a smile.

                “Besides finding out we’re having a girl, that’s the best news I’ve heard all day!” I exclaimed, letting Josh help me off the table. I practically ran into the bathroom, not even caring that my stomach was still covered in goop and hanging out. I peed for what seemed like an hour before cleaning myself off and heading back into the exam room.

                “Feel better?” Josh asked teasingly.

                “That’s an understatement,” I mumbled. He was holding an envelope in his hand which I knew was the pictures of our baby.

                “So, everything checked out perfect and you are right on schedule. Your weight is good as is your blood pressure. You’ve been feeling well? No pains or anything?” Doctor Langer asked.

                I shook my head. “I’m feeling incredible. So much better than the first trimester,” I said.

                “Well, the second trimester is the easiest. You have a lot more energy and the morning sickness is usually gone,” she explained.

                “I’m not complaining about this energy she has either,” Josh said, suggestively, making me blush bright red.

                Doctor Langer laughed. “Yes, the man’s favorite part of the second trimester; increased sex-drive.”

                “I’ll say! I am one very happy and lucky man,” Josh said.

                “Okay, let’s not get any more into that. So, when is my next appointment?” I asked.

                “I want to see you again in four weeks. You can make an appointment with the receptionist before you leave. I will see you then and congratulations,” she said, shaking both mine and Josh’s hands before heading into her office. Josh and I walked out of the exam room, hand in hand to the reception desk. Luckily the receptionist from earlier was either on break or had left for the day and we made my next appointment.

                “I’m so happy it’s a girl. I can’t wait to tell mom and dad,” Josh gushed as he drove us home.

                “Your mom will be so excited. When we went shopping two weeks ago she coo-ed over every little girl’s dress she saw,” I said.

                “I can’t wait, Olive. I already love her so much. I love her just as much as I love you. I never thought it was physically possible to do that,” he said, kissing the back of my hand.

                “I feel the same way,” I admitted. Josh and I headed home, excited about the arrival of our daughter and our future as a family.


	20. Imagine You Fist the Sheets Under You

                  I never really understood the big deal about Valentine’s Day until now. I’d had boyfriends before, but we’d never made it to the month of February. This year was different. It was my first Valentine’s Day with a boyfriend and we’d just so happen to be in London for the occasion. We didn’t plan it out this way since the real reason we were here was so Josh could promote his move, Journey 2 The Mysterious Island. When he told me he had to be in London for Valentine’s Day, I was upset. We had started dating in March the year before so this was our first Valentine’s Day together and he was missing it. My sadness only lasted for about two minutes because he pulled out a plane ticket with my name on it.

                  “You didn’t think I was going without you, did you?” he asked.

                  Now, February fourteenth was officially upon us and whatever Josh had planned was a complete mystery to me. I was in the bathroom of our hotel suite putting the finishing touches on my makeup and smoothing out my skirt.

                  “Almost ready?” he asked from the doorway. I looked over and smiled. He was dressed in dark jeans, a black button up and a red tie. He looked so sexy I almost wanted to convince him we didn’t have to leave our hotel room.

                  “Just finished. What do you think?” I asked, twirling around for him.

                  He sucked in a breath. “What do I think? The only thoughts going through my head right now are extremely dirty.”

                  I smirked and stepped closer to him. “Why don’t you let me in on these dirty thoughts of yours?”

                  “As much as I want that right now, I made other plans that I don’t want to break. Later, though, I will be sure to  _show_  you these dirty thoughts,” he promised, making me shiver. “Now, let’s go.”

                  We slipped on our jackets and headed out the door hand in hand. There were about five girls waiting outside of the hotel holding posters who screamed when they saw Josh. He just smiled and waved before we got into a taxi. “Not going to stop and say hi?” I asked.

                  “Not tonight. Tonight is about you and me. If I stop and talk, I’ll be asked a million questions and we’re on a bit of a schedule,” he answered.

                  “Do we have a dinner reservation?” I asked.

                  “Sort of. You’ll see,” he said. We drove over Westminster Bridge to the South Bank and made a left onto York Road. We made another left onto Chicheley Street and the London Eye came into view right in front of us. The taxi pulled up and Josh paid the driver before getting out and helping me out.

                  “We’re going on the London Eye?” I asked. I had been to London about two years prior and had only done the London Eye during the day. I was excited because I really wanted to do it at night.

                  “We are. I got us our own pod with dinner and Champagne for the next hour and a half,” he replied.

                  “So we get to go around three times?” I asked excitedly.

                  He chuckled. “Yes. We get to go around three times.”

                  I squealed happily and jumped into his arms, kissing my soundly on the lips. “Thank you. This is the most romantic and amazing thing anyone has ever done for me,” I whispered.

                  “I’m glad. I love you and I want to spoil you,” he said.

                  “I love you, too.” Josh and I approached the entrance and I looked around, confused. “Where are all the people? There’s usually a line.”

                  “Well, it’s closed,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

                  I stared at him for a moment, trying to process what he had said. “You mean you rented out the  _entire_  London Eye?” I asked, astonished.

                  Josh nodded. “They close at eight thirty and since I knew we couldn’t do anything until at least nine thirty, I made some calls and asked if they could open it, just for us.”

                  “Josh, this must have cost a fortune!” I exclaimed. I could not believe he had done this for us.

                  “You’re worth it,” he said simply. We made our way over to the pods where an operator was standing, waiting for us.

                  “Mr. Hutcherson?” he asked. Josh nodded and shook the man’s hand.

                  “Everything set to go?” Josh asked.

                  “Yes, sir. Everything is all set up. Enjoy,” he said to both of us with a small bow of his head. We walked into the open pod and I gasped. There was a table with two chairs on each end. Laid out for us was a delicious looking dinner, a few bottles of champagne, and chocolate covered strawberries. The pod was lit softly with flickering candles.

                  “Josh, this is more than I could have ever imagined,” I said, a huge smile spreading across my face. The pod shut behind us and Josh led us to the front as we slowly began our first go around. We looked out over the Thames, seeing Parliament lit up beautifully.

                  “What a view,” he said.

                  “It’s perfect.” Josh and I appreciated the three hundred sixty view of London one time around the Eye before settling down for dinner. He had ordered us Chicken Francese and steamed green beans, which were both incredible. After our dinner, we sat on the bench in the middle, sipping champagne and eating the chocolate covered strawberries.

                  “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he said, clinking his refilled champagne glass against mine.

                  “Happy Valentine’s Day. Thank you for making it unforgettable,” I replied.

                  “You’re very welcome, but the night isn’t over yet.”

                  “Oh?” I questioned curiously.

                  “No. I specifically remember telling you that I’d show you what dirty thoughts were running through my mind earlier,” he answered, staring intently at me.

                  I blushed and smiled. “Well then, what are you waiting for?” I challenged. Josh took our glasses and put them on the floor before leaning in to kiss me passionately. He tasted like strawberries, chocolate, champagne, and Josh, all rolled into one. It was the best taste in the world. I moaned against his mouth, winding my fingers in his hair and pulling myself closer to him.

                  “We’re at the top which means we have fifteen minutes before we’re at the bottom and we have to get off,” he whispered breathlessly against my lips. I nodded and pulled him back to me, kissing him with everything I had. Less than two minutes later, I was on my back, Josh leaning halfway over me, hand up my skirt and two fingers buried in me to the hilt. I thanked God no one could hear us because the sounds that were coming out of my mouth didn’t even sound human.

                  “Oh, God, please don’t stop,” I begged, pushing my hips harder into his hand.

                  “I love seeing you like this; completely coming apart by just my fingers. You’re so sexy,” he said huskily. I could feel him hard against my thigh and I reached down, unzipping his pants and sticking my hand in his boxers, wrapping my hand around him. “Fuck, Olive!” he cried, thrusting his hips in time with the movement of my wrist.

                  Josh’s fingers pushed deeper, pressing against my g-spot with as much pressure as he could give. Over and over he pushed as my moans got louder and I lost control of my body’s movements and orgasmed intensely, burying my face in his neck and almost sobbing at the pleasure that was racing through my veins. Josh eased me back down to earth until I was trembling and trying to catch my breath. Slowly, he pulled his fingers out and I watched him as he seductively licked them clean.

                  “Nothing tastes better than you,” he told me once he was done. I was so turned on that I pushed him on his back and completely freed him from his pants and boxers. We had about six minutes before we were at the bottom so I needed to work fast. I hovered over his hips and teasingly ran my tongue along the length of him. “Jesus Christ,” he whispered, clenching his fists.

                  “Want more?” I asked, running my tongue along him again.

                  “Do you even have to ask? Of course!” he exclaimed.

                  I chuckled softly before taking him in my mouth completely. Josh let out a long, low moan and buried his fingers in my hair. I worked him into a frenzy, loving the way his body reacted to me. I knew he was getting close when his grip tightened on my hair and his hips started to buck. I only sucked harder, coaxing a powerful orgasm out of him. I swallowed every drop and released him when he became too sensitive for me to continue. I slowly moved up so I was next to him and wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

                  “How was that?” I asked.

                  “Olive, I swear to God, that felt so incredible and it only made me hornier. When we get back to the hotel, I’m going to fully have my way with you and I won’t stop until you can’t come anymore,” he promised.

                  A thrill shot through my body at his words and I rubbed my thighs together in anticipation. Josh smirked and we both put ourselves back together just in time for our pad to make it to the bottom. We both looked a little flushed, but I hoped the operator would chalk it up to the champagne we drank.

                  “Have a lovely night,” he said to us with a knowing smile as we walked out.

                  I blushed an even darker red and thanked him before running to the cab. “He totally knows!” I exclaimed in horror when Josh shut the door.

                  “I’m sure he suspects, but there’s no way he actually knows. We look completely normal,” Josh assured me. We cuddled up on the way back to the hotel, Josh stroking my inner thigh the entire time, setting my body on fire. When we pulled up, we saw the five girls still standing there, waiting for Josh to get back.

                  “Are you sure you don’t want to just stop and say hi?” I asked.

                  They called his name and Josh waved. “I guess for a few minutes,” he gave in. Josh quickly went over to sign autographs and take pictures before saying goodnight, grabbing my hand and dragging me up to our suite. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only ones in the elevator so there was no way for us to get freaky, but as soon as we got into the room, my back was against the door and Josh was on his knees in front of me, pulling my underwear off. “Tasting you off of my fingers before wasn’t enough. I need it directly from the source,” he said cockily.

                  “Fuck,” I whispered, letting him lift my left leg over his shoulder. Josh dove in without hesitation and my head fell back with a thump against the door. I threaded my fingers in his hair, holding myself up as much as I could. The things he could do with his tongue always drove me crazy and this time was no different. I was shaking and orgasming in no time, my legs unable to hold me up. Josh released me and I slid down the door so I was level with him. “The things you do to me with your tongue are probably illegal in twelve countries,” I murmured.

                  Josh laughed, pulling me onto his lap. “Trust me, I enjoy doing those things to you.”

                  Once I stopped shaking, Josh stood up with me still in his arms, and took us over to the bed. We both removed our clothes between heated kisses and once we were both naked, I scooted back towards the pillows while he crawled towards me. Once I was settled, I pulled his head down to kiss him and pushed my hips up to his. “Want you,” I whimpered against his lips.

                  Josh pressed against me and slid in with one slow, even stroke. “Olive, so good,” he groaned, thrusting slowly. The feel of him inside of me with nothing between us was incredible.  _Thank God for birth control._  My hips moved in sync with his, both picking up speed at the same time.

                  “Harder,” I pleaded. Josh obeyed, thrusting with more force. I grabbed his ass, pushing him to go even harder.

                  “You want more?” he asked teasingly.

                  “Please, I’m so close,” I begged. Josh pushed harder, grabbing my hips and pulling them upwards to give me the most friction. I held myself in that position, not wanting the feeling to ever go away. Josh held himself up with one hand, snaking the other between us so he could rub me above where we were joined. “JOSH!” I cried out, instantly spiraling over the edge. My fingers fisted the sheets below me while Josh thrust once more, harder and deeper then all the others. He moaned loudly as he let go, burying his face in my neck. Once we were both calmed down, he picked his head up and kissed my forehead.

                  “I love you so much, Olive,” he said.

                  “I love you, too,” I whispered, pushing the hair off of his sweaty forehead. Josh slowly pulled out, rolling us both over so we were on our sides facing each other. I burrowed myself into his arms and kissed his shoulder.

                  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Baby,” he whispered.

                  I laughed softly. “It sure was.”


	21. Imagine Seeing That Josh had set Some Clothes on his Bed

            “Do you have to go to that meeting today?” I asked with a pout.

            “I do, unfortunately. It’s only for an hour or so. I’ll be back before you know it,” Josh assured me, kissing the top of my head. We were currently cuddling on the couch in our living room, enjoying some alone time. Our other roommate, Andre, was out of town visiting his parents so it was just Josh and I in the house.

            “There’s no way you can just call in? Like a conference call?” I asked.

            Josh shook his head. “I already asked that. I have to sign some things so I need to be there in person.”

            Josh’s new movie, The Hunger Games, was coming out next month and it was getting down to the wire before the premieres and press tour started. Our life was quiet right now, but we both knew that this movie was going to be massive and change all that in a heartbeat. I was extremely proud of Josh and he was excited for everything coming his way, but we were both worried about our privacy.

            “What are your plans while I’m gone?” Josh questioned.

            “Laundry, cleaning, and calling my mother back,” I answered, cringing slightly at the last part. On Christmas morning, a few days after my dad had gotten belligerently drunk and hit both my mother and myself, she served him with divorce papers.

            “When was the last time you talked to her?” Josh asked.

            “Three days ago. She called me yesterday, but I just can’t deal with all of it. I can only take her in small doses at the moment. My dad keeps calling me as well, but I don’t pick up,” I admitted.

            “Your dad’s been calling you? Why haven’t you told me?” The morning after my dad backhanded me across the face, Josh and his father took me back to my parent’s house to get my luggage. I grabbed my things as quickly as possible, but Josh and his dad made sure my father knew that they knew he had struck me and weren’t going to sit by and let it happen again. Ever since we got back to California, my dad had been calling me non-stop, leaving threatening voicemails.

            “It’s not that big of a deal. He just leaves me drunken voicemails, threatening to come out here to teach me some respect. According to him, I’m the reason mom served him with divorce papers,” I said, rolling my eyes.

            “Olive, I swear to God, if he shows up on this doorstep, I’m going to kill him,” Josh promised.

            “I won’t stop you.”

            Josh sighed and rubbed his hand across his face. “All right. I have to be at that meeting in an hour, so I need to jump in a shower.”

            I pouted again, wrapping my arms tighter around his middle. “You’re so comfortable, though,” I whined.

            He laughed, giving me a squeeze. “I’m sure I am, but I promise you can lay on me all you want when I get back.”

            “I might just have to take you up on that offer.” Josh leaned down and kissed me softly before I reluctantly let him up to go get ready. I sat on the couch, hearing the shower turn on in Josh’s bathroom. I bit my lip, thinking about how he was in there, wet and naked. Our relationship took off once we got back to California, but I still had yet to see him naked below the waist. We were taking things slow which was fine with me, but I couldn’t help these urges.

            I stood up and stretched, deciding to get dressed for the day and get all of the laundry ready. After slipping on a pair of jeans and a tank top, I gathered my dirty clothes and threw them in the washing machine. On the way back to my room, I spotted Josh’s clothes laid out on his bed for when he was done showering. I tiptoed into the room, listening to the sounds of the shower still running.

            “No clothes, no meeting,” I whispered conspiratorially to myself. I swiped them off the bed and ran into my room, waiting for Josh to get out of the shower. The water finally turned off and I had to muffle my giggles for the next few minutes.

            “Olive?” I heard Josh call from down the hall. “Where are my clothes?”

            “What clothes?” I replied, trying hard to sound confused.

            I heard his footsteps heading towards my room and I hid his clothes behind my back. He appeared in the doorway, his hair damp and a towel wrapped low around his hips. My mouth immediately went dry. “I had clothes laid out on my bed to change into. Do you know where they went?” he asked.

            I shrugged, unable to stop tracing the muscle lines in his torso with my eyes. “Why would I know where your clothes are, Josh?” I croaked.

            “Well, you’re the only one home. Who else could have taken them?”

            “Maybe you didn’t really lay them out. Maybe you only thought you did,” I said.

            Josh raised one eyebrow. “What’s behind your back?”

            “Oh, um, nothing,” I answered.

            “Really? Then why do I see a red t-shirt sleeve poking out?” He looked amused at my guilty expression. “Can I have my clothes back, Sweetheart?”

            A Cheshire cat grin appeared on my face and I moved his clothes so they were in front of me. “Actually, I’m never going to give them back to you,” I answered, matter of factly.

            Josh gave me a sly smile. “We’ll see about that,” he promised.

            I held his clothes tighter to me, thinking he was going to reach forward to grab them. Instead, his hand went to the top of his towel and he pulled, letting the towel fall to the floor. I gasped and stared, Josh’s clothes falling from my grip as I gaped at his body for the first time.  _Oh my God. Josh is naked. Josh is very, very naked and he’s hard! Holy shit, he’s hard and massive! Is it supposed to be that big?!_ “Fuck,” I whispered.

            Josh stepped forward and picked up his clothes that I dropped. “It’s rude to stare,” he teased, and planted a kiss on my unmoving lips. He turned on his heel and headed out of the room, giving me a view of his muscled behind. I had no idea how long I stood there, completely frozen from what I had just witnessed. After what felt like hours, but in reality was probably only a few minutes, Josh came back completely dressed. “Still standing there?” he asked.

            I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. “I… You… Naked,” was all I could come out with.

            Josh laughed and picked up his towel he had dropped. “That’s what happens when you steal my clothes.”

            “You’re HUGE!” I blurted out before slapping my hand over my mouth.

            Josh almost fell over because he was laughing so hard. “Jesus, Olive. So subtle,” he said.

            “Me? You’re the one who whipped your towel off, practically poking my eye out!” I exclaimed.

            “Oh, stop. Take it as a compliment. You make me hard all the time,” he admitted. I couldn’t respond.  _How have I never felt that before?_  “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I had no intentions of you seeing me naked for the first time today, but I couldn’t help myself.”

            “I don’t mind! In fact, you can be naked all you like!” I exclaimed, my cheeks heating up.

            Josh chuckled, wrapping his arms around me. “I love your lack of filter. I will happily walk around naked for you. I’d also very much like you to return the favor,” he suggested.

            I bit my lip. “We’ll have to work up to that,” I whispered.

            “We will, but just so you know, you have nothing to worry about with me. You’re breathtaking,” he told me, kissing me softly. “Now, I really have to head to this meeting. If I don’t leave now, my clothes might start coming off again.”

            I smiled. “When you get home, then.”

            “Deal.”


	22. Imagine Josh Surprising You with a Trip to Europe

“Are you almost packed?” Josh asked, walking into my room.

            I sighed, staring down at my near-empty suitcase. “Not even close. I wish you’d tell me where we were going so I’d have a better sense of what to pack.”

            “I told you, pack for warm weather, but bring a pair of jeans or two and a few long sleeved shirts just in case it gets a little chilly,” he said.

            “So does that mean bring a bathing suit?” I asked.

            Josh smirked. “Absolutely. This trip may be a surprise, but I’m most certainly taking you to a place where I can gawk at that lovely body in a bikini.”

            I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a  _guy_.”

            Josh laughed and gave me a light slap on my ass. “Come on. We have to leave for the airport in two hours. Don’t forget your passport.”

            “So we’re going somewhere out of the country? Is it Costa Rica?” I asked.

            “You’ll find out when we get to the airport,” he replied, walking out of the room. I huffed and opened my dresser, pulling out five different bikinis and throwing them in my bag.

            I bit my lip and walked to the door. “Hey, Josh?” I called. “We’re not going to Dubai or the Emirates are we? Because that would mean I’d have to be careful with my wardrobe!”

            Josh’s head popped out of his room. “We’re not going to Dubai or the Emirates, so no need to worry about dressing conservatively.”

            I nodded and headed into my closet and finished all of my packing. It as mostly sundresses, shorts, tank tops, and bikinis, but I threw in two pairs of jeans and two long sleeved shirts like Josh had said to. I packed the toiletries in my bathroom as well as my makeup and sunscreen. After packing up my carryon bag with my laptop and camera, I wheeled my things to the front door next to Josh’s. He came out of his room a minute later, holding two zip-up hoodies and his carryon bag.

            “You’re that cold you need two sweatshirts?” I asked.

            Josh handed me the black one, which I would always steal from his closet. “One for me, and one for you. I know it’s your favorite and I love seeing you wearing something that belongs to me,” he admitted.

            I smiled, leaning over to kiss him. ”Thank you,” I whispered. Josh and I quickly had something to eat while we waited for the car, standing at the breakfast bar side by side. “Is the flight long?” I asked.

            Josh nodded. “Yes, but we’re in first class, so it’ll be more bearable.”

            “First class? You didn’t have to do that,” I said, blushing. I still got uncomfortable with him spending any amount of money on me.

            “This is our vacation, finally getting away from everything. I don’t want us to have to worry or be uncomfortable. I want us to relax and just have a good time,” he said.

Josh’s movie, The Hunger Games, had come out a little over three months ago and ever since then it’s been crazy. The paparazzi were relentless, following us everywhere, blinding us with the flashes from their cameras. Our relationship had been outed, even though Josh refused to talk about us in interviews. It was no one’s business but our own and that’s how we wanted to keep it. I’d never spoken to the press no matter how hard they hounded me. Of course through public records, they immediately found out all of my information and spread it across the tabloids. The hardest part was the rumors and the horrible things said about me and us from the media and from the fans.

            “Is your mom upset we’re not spending the fourth with them?” I asked. Usually we would go home to Kentucky for the Fourth of July, but this year, Josh planned this surprise trip for the two of us.

            “Not really. She understands why we’re not coming home. I want to spend time with you; just you. I feel like we’re constantly surrounded by other people and I miss those ‘just the two of us’ moments,” he said.

            “I agree,” I whispered. We cleaned up after we were finished eating just in time for the car to show up to take us to the airport. I spent the entire way to LAX curled up in Josh’s arms; feeling like it had been forever since we’d done this. With all the meetings he had and with me working full time, there was just not enough hours in a day for us to curl up and cuddle without going to sleep.

            “I’m sure they’ll be paparazzi lurking around, so just stay close to me,” Josh said, kissing the top of my head. We pulled up to Terminal Two and of course there were about five photographers waiting for any celebrity to walk by. Josh and I got out of the car with our sunglasses on and our heads down. Josh paid the driver after he got our bags out of the trunk and we headed towards the door.

            “Josh! Look over here!” one of the photographers shouted, snapping away. The four others followed suit, practically surrounding us. I squeezed Josh’s free hand and walked closely behind him.

            “Olive! Can you give us a smile?” another asked me. I ignored them, letting my hair curtain my face.

            “Heading to Hawaii for the holiday?” another photographer asked. I was confused at first until I realized that Hawaiian Air was in this terminal.

            “I’m certainly not going to give away any information about where I’m headed to,” Josh said, good-naturedly. Although he loathed the paparazzi, he was always polite. They were the ones who would portray him in a bad light if he were mean to them.

            “Aw, come on! It’s not like we’ll follow you there!” the photographer exclaimed.

            “Sorry, guys. That’s classified information. Have a great holiday!” Josh replied as we headed inside.

            “It freaks me out that they know my name,” I said as we got in line to check in.

            “I know. I don’t like it when they call out to you,” he admitted. I removed my sunglasses and looked at the airline name behind our counter.

            “Air France? Are we going to Paris?” I asked, getting excited.

            “No, we’re not going to Paris,” Josh answered.

            I pouted, trying to think of where else we could possibly be going if we were flying Air France. We made our way to the counter and handed over our passports so the attendant could check us in. After checking our bags, she handed us back our passports and tickets, telling us to have a safe flight. “Can I at least look at my ticket?” I asked.

            “Sure,” Josh said as we made our way to security.

            I opened my passport and took a look at the ticket. “NCE? Which airport is that?” I wondered aloud. I pulled out my iPhone once we were on the security line and Googled it. “Nice? We’re going to Nice, France?” I asked, even more excited than when I thought we were headed to Paris.

            Josh nodded, smiling. “Yes. A nice relaxing vacation in the south of France with more relaxing in Corsica, Sardinia, and Majorca.”

            I squealed, jumping into his arms, not caring that people were giving me strange looks. “Thank you so much, Josh! This is absolutely amazing!” I exclaimed, planting a massive kiss on his lips.

            “You’re very welcome. I figured we’d lounge on the beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean for two weeks, eat some delicious food, and do some sight seeing while staying in our own private villas in every city we visit.”

            “Private villas? We’re not staying in hotels?” I questioned. Josh had really gone all out for this vacation.

            “I wanted us to have as much privacy as possible. We can’t do that in a hotel, so I rented villas,” he explained. I kissed him again, unable to formulate words. He had gone above and beyond to make sure we had the perfect, relaxing vacation. Josh and I went through security and headed into the first class lounge. We were greeted with champagne and sat on one of the comfortable couches near the window.

            “I can’t wait until we get there,” I said, resting my head on his shoulder.

            “Me either. This will be way better than going home to Kentucky.”

            “Definitely. This is the best surprise I’ve ever had. I can’t imagine how much trouble you went through to book everything on top of the craziness going on in our lives. Thank you,” I told him again.

            “It was no trouble at all. I was really excited and I wanted to do something nice for us. Who knows when the next time we’ll be able to go on vacation will be. I wanted to go all out.”

            I looked up and him, smiling. “I love you,” I whispered.

            “And I love you, Olive,” he whispered back, placing a soft, but passionate kiss on my lips. I couldn’t imagine spending two weeks in some of the most beautiful places in Europe with anyone else. I couldn’t wait.


	23. Imagine Having Josh Make Love to You

“I wish we could live like this forever,” Josh said wistfully, digging his toes into the wet sand. We were currently sitting on the shore on the beach in Nice, enjoying the late afternoon sun. We had landed yesterday morning and spent the entire day working on our tans, playing in the sea, and just relaxing. We slept peacefully in our beautiful, massive villa that overlooked the entire city and the beach. Today, we walked around; shopping and eating al fresco at all the little cafes. After dropping our purchases off at the villa, we took a cab back down to the beach to relax and grab dinner.

            “Maybe one day, when we’re old and gray and have lots of grandchildren, we can retire here and never go back,” I suggested.

            Josh chuckled. “That sounds like a dream come true.” His arm went around me and I rested my head on his shoulder, watching the crystal blue water rush around our feet.

            “We’ve only been here two days and I’m already dreading going home,” I admitted. Girls recognized us on the street and on the beach, but they were polite and mostly left us alone. It was so different from LA, a lot less aggressive.

            “I know what you mean, but let’s spend the next two weeks enjoying all of this instead of thinking about leaving,” he said. I nodded in agreement and snuggled deeper into him, relishing the closeness. The sky was turning pink, making the water look almost purple. I looked behind me at the city, watching as the street lamps started to turn on, illuminating the buildings. “Shall we get some dinner?” Josh asked, breaking our comfortable silence.

            “Dinner sounds fantastic,” I replied. I wasn’t too hungry since we’d stopped and eaten a few times today, but I knew I wouldn’t make it to breakfast. Josh stood up and pulled me to my feet, both of us wiping the sand off of our backsides. After grabbing our shoes, we walked hand in hand back across the sand towards the Promenade des Anglais. “Where are we eating?” I asked, sliding my sandals back on my feet once we reached the road.

            “I made us a reservation at Le Siecle in the Hotel West End,” he answered.

            “Well then, lead the way,” I said, smiling. The hotel was just right across the road and it was breathtaking. It almost reminded me of The Plaza in New York, except smaller. The entrance to Le Siecle was in the front and we were seated at one of the tables outside on the terrace and handed menus.

            “Thank God they have the English translation under all of the food. I’d have to close my eyes and randomly point at one to choose,” Josh said.

            I giggled. “Or you could have just asked a waiter.”

            “Where’s the fun in that?” he asked, smiling at me.

            I scanned the menu, looking for something light to eat. “Are you very hungry?” I asked.

            “Not too hungry,” he answered.

            “Well how about we share the Grilled Chateaubriand beef, pepper sauce, and French fries? It’s for two people,” I suggested, showing it to him on the menu.

            “I’m sold. It comes with fries so it has to be good,” he said.

            I rolled my eyes and sipped the water in front of me. The waiter came and took our order and our menus. “I have a feeling if we weren’t staying in a villa, we’d be staying here,” I said, staring out onto the Promenade.

            “Definitely. My travel agent actually recommended this place before I mentioned wanting something a little more private. That’s how I found out about this restaurant.”

            “It’s definitely an ideal place to people watch,” I commented, staring at a drunk old man across the way, stumbling down to the beach. Josh didn’t say anything so I looked over at him, finding him watching me intently. “What?” I asked.

            “You’re so beautiful,” he said.

            I blushed, biting my lip. “Josh…” I started.

            “Stop, Olive. Take the compliment. I hate it when you argue with me when I call you beautiful,” he told me.

            “I don’t mean to argue with you, but I just feel like I’d sound so vain if I agreed or said ‘thank you’ or whatever,” I explained.

            “It’s not vain to accept a compliment, especially when it’s true.”

            I sighed, looking into his eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered.

            He smiled widely, grabbing my hand on the table. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

            “Don’t sound so smug,” I teased.

            Our food came out a few minutes later and the only sounds between us were hums of approval. The beef was delicious.

            “Good choice of entrée,” Josh said to me.

            “Why, thank you,” I replied, putting another forkful in my mouth. The meat was tender, juicy, and cooked to perfection. When our plates were cleaned and cleared away, we were handed the dessert menu.

            “The stuffed chocolate cake with coffee sauce sounds fantastic,” Josh said, practically salivating.

            “Yeah, but so does the pan-fried pears, flavored with cinnamon and gingerbread.”

            “Let’s get both. Problem solved,” he suggested.

            “Fine with me!” I exclaimed. Getting both desserts was definitely the right decision. The chocolate cake was rich and flavorful, while the pears were light and sweet. Josh and I fed forkfuls of each to each other, giggling as our lips became covered in chocolate from the gooey cake. He leaned over the table quite a few times to kiss the chocolate off of my lips.

            “The cake tastes so much better when it’s mixed with the taste of you,” he whispered after the fifth time kissing me.

            “Are you telling me I’m good enough to eat?” I asked, pretending to be surprised.

            Josh’s eyes turned dark and he leaned forward, placing his hand on my bare thigh. I gasped at the feeling of his rough fingertips against the soft, sensitive skin of my inner thigh. I bit my lip, my blood racing through my veins and seeming to pool inches from where his fingers were. Suddenly, I couldn’t stop squirming. “Why don’t we find out?” he inquired, huskily.

His fingers slid upwards, past the hem of my dress, and pushed my underwear to the side. He touched me gently for a brief moment while I fought passing out. I was definitely wet and he no doubt felt it. He pulled his fingers away, quickly fixed my underwear, and brought them up to his lips. I could see the tips of them glistening in the candlelight. Josh never broke eye contact with me as he sucked his fingers into his mouth, moaning quietly. “Now, that’s better than any dessert I’ve  _ever_  had,” he commented.

I was officially hyperventilating. Sure, Josh and I had fooled around a lot over the last seven months, but we’d never gotten too far. Unfortunately, we were both always so busy and constantly on the go. We wanted our first time together to be special and not rushed, especially since it would be my first time ever making love.

“That… you… I…” I stuttered, unable to form a complete sentence in or out of my head.

            Josh smirked. “Have I rendered you speechless?” he teased. I blushed bright red, suddenly feeling very warm. Josh signaled the waiter and got the bill. He paid quickly and grabbed my hand leading me out onto the Promenade and hailing a taxi. My legs were draped across his lap and his lips were at my ear as we headed back to our villa. “I want to touch you like that again. I want to taste you so bad; feel your thighs squeeze my head as you lose control.”

            I was clutching at his shirt, growing more and more wet with each dirty word coming out of his mouth. “Josh, please,” I begged, although I had no idea what I wanted. I wanted him to stop, I wanted him to keep going, I wanted him to touch me.

            “Will you let me do those things to you?” he asked quietly.

            “Yes,” I hissed out, shivering as his fingers stroked my inner thigh.

            “I want to see your face when you finally let go for me. I want to see how low that blush goes,” he said, lightly touching my flushed cheek. When we were dropped off in front of the villa, I could barely stand my legs were shaking so bad. Josh paid the driver before leading me inside. Once we were up in the bedroom, our hands were all over each other and his lips were placing wet kisses along my neck and collarbone.

            “I want you so bad,” I whimpered, pressing myself against his leg that was in between mine. I needed friction and I needed it bad.

            “I know, baby. I want you too,” he whispered, unzipping the back of my dress.

            “I want you to make love to me,” I whispered.

            Josh froze, his hands gripping the back of my dress. He pulled away slightly and looked me in the eyes. “Olive, we don’t have to do that,” he said. “I’m not expecting anything like that.”

            “I know, Josh, but I want you. These past seven months have been so hectic. I finally feel relaxed and I finally feel like we won’t be rushed,” I explained.

            “Sweetheart, I didn’t bring you to Europe so we could have sex,” he said.

            My face fell and I pulled myself out of his grasp, holding my dress up. “So, you don’t want me?” I asked, the hurt obvious in my voice.

            Josh reached for me, but I stepped away. “Olive, of course I want you. I always want you,” he said with conviction. “I don’t want you to think we have to do this just because we’re here. We can wait as long as you want. I just don’t want you to think that the whole reason I brought you here was so we could have sex,” he clarified.

            “I’m not stupid, Josh. I know you didn’t bring me here for that. You’ve never pressured me and you’re not pressuring me now. I want this. I want you,” I whispered.

            Josh took a tentative step towards me and I let him hold me in his arms. “I’m yours. Only yours. I love you so much and if you want this, I will gladly give it to you,” he promised.

            “I love you too and I want to give myself to you,” I said with conviction. I let my dress fall to the floor to prove that I meant it. Josh looked me up and down before attacking my mouth with heated kisses. I grasped at his shirt and pulled it over his head, running my hands along the hardened muscles of his chest and shoulders. He pulled me close again, pressing us together so we were skin on skin. His clever fingers undid my strapless bra and threw it across the room.

            “So beautiful,” he murmured, moving me backwards until the back of my knees hit the mattress. I sat down, Josh leaning over me and plunging his tongue in my mouth. I moaned loudly as his hands cupped my breasts, making my body shudder and my thighs rub together.

            “More,” I pleaded. He pushed me until my back was flat against the mattress, my feet still on the floor. Trailing soft kisses all over my breasts, his fingers hooked into the sides of my underwear, pulling them down and off. He kneeled on the ground so he was level with my hips.

            “You’re so sexy, Olive. I’m going to make you feel so good,” he mumbled against the skin of my stomach. Josh placed his hands on my knees, pulling them apart and pushing them back so I was spread wide open for him. I was trembling with anticipation as I watched him survey my body. He licked his lips when his eyes made it between my legs and he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to me.

            I cried out, my hips bucking forward. It felt like an electric current was running through me. He had barely touched me and I was already about to lose it. His fingers softly stroked me, causing whimpers to escape my lips. He knew exactly where and how to touch me to give me the most pleasure and drive me wild with desire. “Fuck!” I exclaimed, feeling him gently ease a finger into me.

            “So tight,” he groaned, slowly moving his finger in and out.

            “Please,” I begged, needing more. Josh leaned forward, putting his mouth where his fingers had been. I was completely on the verge of blacking out as he sucked, nibbled, and licked with precision. I’d never felt this way before and I never wanted him to stop. My fingers were entwined in his hair as I tried to hold myself back from grinding myself against his face. Josh’s hands were gripping my hips tightly, encouraging me to lose control and take whatever I wanted from him.

            I looked down and saw that he was staring intently up at me, his eyes almost black with lust. I’d never seen him so turned on. “Mmmmmmm,” he hummed against me, causing my hips to buck and my head to fall back. He kept humming, sending the vibrations throughout my body until I was screaming and orgasming, my grip on his hair tightening by the second. When I could do nothing except lye there in a boneless heap and twitch, Josh pulled away, kissing my inner thighs.

            “No more chocolate cake for me. I want this every night for dessert,” he said seductively.

            I looked down at him, still in my orgasmic haze. “I taste that good?” I asked. Josh crawled up and kissed me, letting me taste myself on his lips. It was sweet and a little bit salty and tangy. It wasn’t my cup of tea, but it wasn’t too bad when mixed with the taste of Josh.

            “You’re delicious,” he whispered.

            “Mmm. Your turn,” I murmured.

            “Before we go any further, let me get some protection,” Josh insisted. He got up and went to his luggage, rummaging through his bag until he pulled out a box of condoms. He ripped took one out and came back over to me. I scooted back towards the pillows and he crawled up the bed on his hands and knees until he was hovering over me.

            “It’s your turn,” I repeated.

            Josh shook his head. “As much as I want that, the only thing I want right now is to be inside you,” he whispered, pressing a kiss on my pulse point. I shivered and ran my hands down his stomach, unbuttoning his shorts. He helped me pull them off along with his boxers, and throw them to the floor. He was so hard and ready I had to touch him. I wrapped my hand around him and he moaned, throwing his head back. Slowly, I stroked him, watching his face the entire time. I loved seeing him like this, knowing it was because of me he was feeling so good. “Baby, please,” he begged, placing a hand over mine to stop me.

            “Why’d you stop?” I asked, pouting.

            “It was too good. I didn’t want the grand finale to come before the final act if you know what I mean,” he replied.

            I giggled and let go of him. He ripped the condom package open with his teeth and easily rolled it over himself. His fingers moved between my legs again and I whimpered.

            “Still so wet,” he commented. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

            “I’m sure of you. Always,” I answered.

            “I love you, Olive. I promise I’ll be gentle,” he said.

            He pressed himself against me rubbing up and down a few times before pressing forward slightly. I let out a harsh gust of air, letting him know I could feel him and it was a bit uncomfortable. Josh’s eyes didn’t leave mine as he gradually pushed himself into me until our hips were flushed. My entire body was shaking, my nails digging into his shoulder blades as I held back my cries.

            “Relax, Sweetheart,” he murmured soothingly, pushing my hair off of my face. Josh was panting and fisting the sheets next to my head, using all his effort to keep still and let me adjust.

            I took a deep breath, willing my body to calm down and not focus on the burning stretch. “Will you kiss me?” I asked, my voice strained and small, feeling embarrassed about asking for such a request.

            Josh softly nudged my lips with his, kissing slowly and lovingly. I concentrated on the feel of his kisses, letting my body relax and mold to him. Josh moved slowly and I gasped at the feeling. It almost felt as though he was removing something from me that was never meant to leave before replacing it again. I felt full and complete, the dull ache being overridden by the fact that we were finally doing this. We were making love.

            Josh entwined our fingers resting his forehead against mine and whispering how much he loved me and how good I felt. I moved my hips in sync with his, gasping at the tingling sensation I felt every time we came together.  _So this is the reason why people make love._

I knew Josh was close and I encouraged him to let go, knowing I wasn’t going to get there with him. It was beginning to feel good, but I was starting to get sore and I still wasn’t completely used to how sensitive every nerve ending was when he moved inside of me. I held him close as he cried my name out, stilling his movements.  After catching his breath and pressing a sweet kiss to my lips, he gently pulled out and disposed of the condom. He moved on his side so he was facing me and pulled me into his arms.

            “I love you,” I whispered, kissing his chest.

            Josh smiled down at me, almost as if he were in awe. “I love you, too, Olive. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you in my arms.”

            We kissed once before I snuggled into his chest, letting him hold me close. Josh and I had finally made love and it was more than I had ever thought it could be.


	24. Imagine You and Josh are Cuddled in bed Asleep

                “You feel incredible,” Josh moaned in my ear, pulling my hips upward. The angle allowed him to thrust deeper, causing me to cry out in pleasure each time our hips met. I couldn’t stop touching him; my hands constantly roaming over his shoulders, back, and chest.

                “Please,” I whimpered, at the edge of an orgasm, but unable to fall over.

                Josh thrust harder and my eyes closed at the feeling. I was about to let go when my eyes shot open. The room was dark and I was disoriented. I took a second to catch my breath and take in my surroundings. I was sweating, naked, and in Josh’s room, wrapped in his arms. I rubbed my shaking hands over my face, trying to wipe the sweat away.  _Jesus, we just made love for the first time a few hours ago and I’m already having sex dreams._

                I needed to go to the bathroom to clean up and use the toilet. As quietly as I could, I tried to get out of his arms. I almost made it until he held me tighter to him, startling me. “Stay, baby,” he said in a sleepy, husky voice.

                I smiled. “I need to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back,” I whispered, looking over at him. He hadn’t opened his eyes, but I knew he was awake.

                He pouted, clearly not happy that I was getting out of bed. “Hurry back,” he murmured. He let me go and I slowly sat up, grimacing. I was sore in places I didn’t even know existed. I climbed out of bed, walking slightly bowlegged to the bathroom. I quickly used the toilet, whimpering at how tender I felt. This was not good. I felt sweaty, sticky, and uncomfortable and I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back to sleep.  _I know I promised Josh I’d be right back, but I need a hot bath._  I looked over at the decorative clock on the wall that his mom insisted he have and groaned. It was three fifteen in the morning. The last thing I wanted to do was get in the bath, but I knew there would be no more sleep for me if I didn’t.

                I walked over to Josh’s giant Jacuzzi bathtub and turned the water on, adding some of my bath salts that I had left here. The temperature was hot, but not scalding as I waited for the tub to fill up. Once I was satisfied with the amount of water, I turned the taps off and climbed in, sighing in relief as the soothing salts began their work on my muscles and tender spots.

                “Olive? You okay?” Josh asked through the door.

                “You can come in,” I called.

                The door opened and Josh stepped in, wearing his boxers that he had discarded earlier. He looked at me, concerned. “Sweetheart, it’s almost three thirty. Why are you in the bath?” he asked, sitting on the edge of it.

                I shrugged. “I had a dream and when I woke up, I was all sticky and sweaty. Plus, I’m sore,” I whispered the last part.

                Josh sighed and stood up, discarding his boxers. “Scoot forward,” he instructed. I did as he said and he climbed in behind me, pulling me so my back was against his chest. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he whispered, running his fingers through my hair.

                “Sorry for what?” I asked.

                “I knew you’d be sore and I didn’t take care of you earlier. If I had, we wouldn’t be sitting in the bath at three thirty in the morning,” he chastised himself.

                “Josh, really, it’s not a big deal. There’s nothing you could have done,” I promised.

                “Yes, there is. I could have drawn you a bath then. I could have gotten you some Tylenol. I could have given you a massage. It’s a big deal, Olive. I love you so much and I want to take care of you and I failed,” he said, completely crestfallen.

                I turned my head to the side, putting my hand on his cheek and turning his head so he was looking at me. “Stop it, Josh. You did take care of me. You made sure my first time was incredible and special. You were gentle with me and you made sure I was ready. A lot of girls can’t say that about their first time. I’m lucky I can,” I reassured him.

                He sighed and pressed his lips against mine. “I’d do anything for you,” he swore. I smiled and rested the back of my head against his shoulder, my temple against his jaw. Josh’s hands massaged my shoulders, working the kinks out and loosening the tense muscles. I hummed in pleasure, letting my eyes close. His hands wandered lower, massaging my arms and eventually my thighs. I felt myself starting to drift off, feeling completely relaxed. Josh lightly touched between my legs and I jumped, whimpering at the sensitivity. “I’m sorry! I just wanted to make sure you were okay! It wasn’t sexual!” he exclaimed.

                “It’s fine, Josh. You just startled me,” I said, placing my hand over my rapidly beating heart. I relaxed back against him again. Josh resumed rubbing the sore muscles of my thighs, avoiding all contact between my legs again. I started to fall asleep once again, this time sliding off to the side.

                “All right, let’s get out before you drown,” Josh said, easing me forward.

                “Would you give me mouth to mouth?” I slurred sleepily.

                Josh chuckled, getting out of the tub. “Of course I would, but I’d rather have you not almost drown on me instead,” he said. He pulled me up by my hands and I shivered as the cold air enveloped my warm skin. He helped me step out of the tub and wrapped a giant, fuzzy towel around my shoulders before wrapping one around his waist. He pulled the plug out of the drain, letting the water go down. “Feel better?” he asked me.

                “Mmmm, much better. I’m so glad I left those bath salts here,” I commented.

                “They really do help on sore muscles,” he agreed. After we were dry, Josh led us back into his bedroom, lying me down on my stomach.

                “What are you doing?” I asked.

                “Giving you a proper massage,” he answered, his fingers deliciously working out a knot at the bottom of my spine.

                “It’s almost four in the morning. You don’t have to do that,” I said, even though I really didn’t want him to stop.

                “Sh. This is me taking care of you,” he whispered. “Do you want some Tylenol?” he asked.

                “Couldn’t hurt,” I replied, yawning widely. Josh quickly went into the bathroom, bringing two Tylenol and a Dixie cup of water back with him. I lifted my head enough to take the pills and swallow the water before collapsing back on his comfortable mattress. He picked the massage up right where he left off, working out every tense muscle in my back he could find. When I was as boneless as a jelly fish, he kissed my shoulder blade and climbed back into bed with me, shutting the nightstand light off. I curled up in his arms, feeling much better.

                “What was your dream about?” he asked, suddenly.

                My eyes popped open and I blushed to my roots. “Us,” I whispered, not wanting to give out any more details.

                “What about us?” he wondered.

                “Ugh, don’t make me say it,” I complained.

                Josh lifted my chin up, staring incredulously at me. “Olive, were you having a sex dream?” he asked, amused.

                I bit my lip. “Yes,” I replied, quietly.

                Josh smirked. “No wonder you were all sweaty and sticky. How was it? Was I any good in your dream?”

                “Jesus, Josh. Do we really have to talk about this?”

                “Yes! We really do! Come on, Olive,” he begged.

                I sighed. “It was a wonderful dream. You were amazing in it, but you’re way better in real life. I woke up right before I could finish,” I told him, completely embarrassed.

                Josh looked disappointed. “You woke up before you came? That’s not okay. If you weren’t so tender and sensitive right now, I’d finish the dream for you,” he said, kissing my neck.

                “Maybe tomorrow night,” I replied, mischievously.

                “Trust me, Olive if you’re feeling better by tomorrow night, I’ll make more than just that sex dream come true. Every single dirty thought you’ve had about me I’ll make come true,” he vowed.

                “Well, we wouldn’t be able to do all of that in one night. Let’s spread it out,” I suggested.

                Josh laughed. “Oh, my dirty girl, we will. Don’t you worry. Now get some sleep and let your body heal,” he instructed, running his fingers through my hair.

                I closed my eyes and hummed in pleasure. “I love you. Thank you for taking care of me,” I said, seriously.

                Josh kissed my temple. “I love you, too and I will always take care of you,” he promised. I smiled, letting myself fall asleep to the feeling of his arms wrapped tightly around me.


	25. Imagine You're Walking Down the Street

                 _Thank God that’s over._  I had just walked out of the Vogue offices onto Madison Avenue after dropping my editorial off with the editor in chief. I had gotten the job two days after graduating college and had been there for two years already. I mostly worked from home since being in a hectic office environment was not ideal for writing. Every once in a while, I would stop by to drop articles off, go to meetings, or sit and work for a few minutes at my desk which only housed a computer, a couple of cut out articles I had written that had been pinned to the wall, and a framed picture of my two best friends and me.

                Today had been especially crazy in the office as it was the first day the new interns started. The closet was a complete disaster and there had been a lot of yelling going on. I could have sworn I saw one of the senior staff get so angry they threw a Manolo Blahnik pump across the room. I could not have gotten out of there fast enough. I was currently struggling to put my trench coat on while trying not to drop my phone, purse, and all of the folders in my hands.

                “OOF!” I exclaimed, slamming head on into someone. All of my possessions fell to the ground and I sighed.  _Perfect. Just what I needed._  I bent down and started gathering up my things, seeing another set of hands helping me.

                “I’m so sorry. I should probably not text while walking. Are you all right?” the stranger said.

                “Yes, I’m fine. It’s just as much my fault. I shouldn’t be trying to do a million things on a crowded sidewalk,” I replied. I grabbed my iPhone off of the ground and threw it into my bag while the stranger had gathered up my documents, put them back in the folders, and held them out to me. I looked up to see a man, probably no older than twenty-one, wearing sunglasses, and leather jacket, and smiling at me. I took the folder from him and blushed, smiling back.

                “I hope all of your papers weren’t in order or anything,” he said as I took the folders.

                “Not really. If they’re messed up, it’s not a big deal. Thank you,” I responded.

                “It’s no problem,” he said, putting his phone into his back pocket. “I’m Josh.” He held his hand out for me to shake and I did.

                “Olive,” I introduced myself.

                “Well, it was lovely bumping into you, Olive,” he commented.

                “Yeah, you too. Thank you again,” I said, shyly.

                “You’re very welcome.” He smiled brightly and I gave him a small one back before walking away, trying not to fan myself. He was gorgeous. He also looked extremely familiar, but I couldn’t place my finger on where I’d seen him before.  _Maybe he’s a model and he’s graced the pages of Vogue before. He’s too short, though. Well, he’s taller than me, but he’s not model tall. That jaw, though. And that chin! His face was probably carved by the Gods._  I looked back over my shoulder and saw Josh was still standing there, staring at me as I walked away, with a smile on his face. He gave a little wave and I blushed to my roots, embarrassed that I had been caught staring. I quickened my pace, trying to get away as fast as possible. I was almost at the subway when I felt my phone vibrating in my bag. I pulled it out and frowned, staring down at the cracked screen.

                 _Dammit, that’s what happens when you don’t have a case on it. Wait, why is my number popping up on the caller ID?_

“Hello?” I answered, completely confused.

                “Olive, hi, um this is Josh Hutcherson. We seem to have switched phones by accident before. Do you want to meet up and trade back?” Josh asked.

                 _So his last name is Hutcherson. I feel like I know that name for some reason._  “Oh. I was confused as to why my number was coming up on the caller ID. By the way, your screen is cracked,” I said.

                Josh laughed. “Yeah, I always manage to sit on it and break it. That’s probably the fifth iPhone I’ve been through.”

                “That doesn’t sound too good. For a moment I thought it was mine and had broken when I dropped it. Where do you want to meet up?” I asked.

“I’m currently standing in front of Lily O’Briens Chocolate Café across from Bryant Park. Is that okay?”

                “That’s perfect. I’ll be there in five minutes,” I responded.

                “See you in five minutes, then.” I hung up and turned around, making my way back towards the West Side. A few minutes later, I was in front of Lily O’Brien’s. After opening the door, I walked in, inhaling the delicious scent of coffee and chocolate. I looked around and saw Josh sitting at a corner table. He waved me over and I sat down across from him.

                “I got you a Capuccino,” he said, pointing to the coffee in front of me.

                “Thank you. You really didn’t have to, though,” I said.

                “It’s no trouble. I wanted to.”

                I blushed and handed his phone over to him. He smiled and handed mine back to me. Thankfully, there was not one scratch on it, even though it had hid the pavement pretty hard. “I have a lock on my phone. How did you dial your number?” I asked.

                “I used the Emergency Call button and dialed it,” he explained, taking a sip of his coffee. I picked the mug up in front of me and took a deep drink of the hot liquid, smiling at the delicious taste.

                “So your last name is Hutcherson? You look really familiar,” I said.

                Josh squirmed in his seat as if he was uncomfortable. “Yeah, I get that a lot,” he mumbled.

                “Are you a model or something? I feel like I’ve maybe seen your face in Vogue at some point or another,” I commented, surveying his face.

                He pulled his sunglasses off and I had to hold back my gasp. His eyes were bright and piercing. Josh was definitely one of the hottest guys I’d ever seen. “I’m not a model, but I’ve been in Teen Vogue before for a photo shoot,” he said.

                “I’ve never really looked through Teen Vogue. Their offices are in LA so we don’t really associate with them often. At least I don’t.”

                “You work for Vogue?” he asked.

                I nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been working for them for about two years, writing articles on whatever they tell me to write about. Usually, it’s fashion.”

                “That’s awesome,” he replied.

                “So if you’re not a model, but you’ve done a photo shoot with Teen Vogue before, what do you do for a living?” I asked.

                Josh licked his lips, looking down at his coffee. “I’m an actor,” he said quietly.

                 _THAT’S how I know him!_ “The Hunger Games!” I exclaimed.

                Josh nodded. “Yes, that would be me.”

                “My friend and I went to see that. It was a great movie,” I complimented.

                “Thank you,” he said, smiling at me.

                I finished my Capuccino and set my mug down. “Well, I have to get going. It was nice meeting you and sorry for the mix up about the phones,” I said. I made to put my jacket on, but Josh’s hand stopped me.

                “Stay?” he asked. “Unless you have to be somewhere, but if not, will you stay?”

                I looked over at him, trying not to get lost in those eyes.  _What would Josh Hutcherson want with you?_ “Really?” I questioned.

                Josh nodded. “You just seem like an interesting person. You’re the first girl I’ve met here that hasn’t screamed in my face or tried to molest me. Plus, you’re beautiful.”

                I bit my lip. “I don’t have to be anywhere,” I said.

                He smiled. “Well, would you like to take a stroll through Bryant Park?” he asked.

                I nodded. “I’d love to.”

                Josh and I got up and headed outside into the early spring morning. We did a lap around Bryant Park, talking about our lives. He was fun to talk to and the more I got to know him, the more I liked him. I brought him around to Fifth Avenue and introduced him to Patience and Fortitude; the two lions that guarded the New York Public library, before we headed uptown.

                “You know a lot about this city,” Josh commented.

                “I’ve lived here my whole life. Besides, what I know is mostly useless information,” I said.

                “I don’t think it’s useless. I think it’s interesting. I’m glad you’re not like a monotone tour guide. Your eyes light up when you talk about something you love and you always have a fun fact about it.”

                I blushed. “Most people think I’m a bit of a nerd,” I said quietly.

                “You’re not a nerd. You’re Olive. Don’t let people rag on you for being yourself. I like that about you. You’re not trying to be someone you’re not,” he commented.

                “I don’t believe in not being honest with someone from the start. If you’re going to be somebody, what’s wrong with being yourself?” I asked.

                “My thoughts exactly,” he replied.

                Josh and I spent the day walking around. I showed him my New York, not the touristy New York and we had a lot of fun. He was recognized a lot, especially up near the museums where there were a lot more people. He was very polite and never declined a photo with a fan.

                “You’re very nice to your fans. I’ve met a few celebrities who are the exact opposite,” I told him.

                “I’d be nowhere without my fans. They’re the reason why I have a career. They stand behind me and that means the world to me,” he said genuinely.

                After a stroll through Central Park, we found ourselves in front of my apartment. “Do you want to come in?” I asked, nervously. “It’s getting kind of late and I took chicken out this morning to cook for dinner. You can join me if you want.”

                Josh smiled. “I’d love to,” he said. I said hello to the doorman and Josh and I got into the elevator, heading up to the fifteenth floor and into my apartment. I lived by myself in a comfortably large one bedroom with a massive kitchen and living room. I quickly changed while Josh looked around, scanning the pictures of my friends and family in the living room.

                “So, this is my place,” I said, gesturing around.

                “It’s perfect. It’s so you,” he complimented.

                I smiled. “Well, I’m going to get started on dinner. You can watch television or do whatever.”

                “Actually, can I help you cook?” he asked.

                I was taken aback.  _He can cook? That’s it, we’re getting married._ “Sure!” I exclaimed. Josh and I went into the kitchen and prepared dinner together. It felt natural, like we’d done this together before. All day I’d felt like I’d known him my whole life and it gave me goose bumps. I’d never felt that way before with anyone. We laughed and joked around, cutting up vegetables and putting the chicken in the oven.

                “Today’s been amazing. You’re amazing,” Josh said, sipping on the delicious Pinot Noir I had purchased the night before. We were at my dining room table, having dinner as if we were a couple.

                “I agree. I haven’t had this much fun in a long time,” I whispered. The rest of our dinner was filled with conversation between bites of chicken and once we were done, Josh helped me clean up and load the dishwasher.

                “It’s getting late,” I said, staring at the clock.

                “Do you want me to leave?” he asked sadly.

                I shook my head. “No. I just wasn’t sure if you had to. Do you have meetings or anything tomorrow?” I asked.

                “Yeah,” he sighed. “I probably should go, although I really don’t want to.”

                I frowned, upset that our evening was coming to an end. “All right,” I whispered.

                Josh looked over at me, giving me a small smile. “I had a great time with you today, Olive. Can I take you out tomorrow night?” he asked hopefully.

                I grinned. “Of course. I’d like that.”

                I led Josh to the door and he stood in front of me, inches from my face. “I’m going to kiss you, Olive Fairs. If you don’t want me to, then push me away now,” he murmured.

                I sucked in a deep breath. “I’m not going to push you away.”

                “Good.” Josh leaned in, placing his lips softly against mine in what I can only describe as the greatest, most passionate kiss of my young life. It didn’t last very long, but it definitely left me wanting more. “Sweet dreams, Olive.”

                “You too,” I whispered against his lips.

                Josh pecked my lips one last time and smiled. “They will be. I’ll be dreaming of you. I’ll see you tomorrow night,” he said.

                “You need my phone number,” I told him.

                Josh shook his head. “I called my phone from yours, remember? I have it,” he smiled. I smiled back and watched him walk down the hall and go down the elevator. Once he was out of sight, I locked my door and leaned back against it. Josh Hutcherson was definitely someone special.


	26. Imagine You're in Your Bed

                “So when does Josh come back from North Carolina?” my co-worker, Melanie, asked me.

                I sighed, turning away from my computer screen. “Two weeks. I miss him so much,” I replied.

                “He’s been gone for a while,” she commented.

                “Five weeks. It’s torture. We Skype almost every day and we’re constantly calling and texting each other, but it’s really hard. I want to be able to kiss him and have him hold me,” I said, starting to feel even more depressed.

                Melanie gave me a sympathetic smile. “These two weeks will fly by. You’ll see,” she tried to reassure me.

                “I hope so. I wish I could have gone to visit him on set. I can’t believe how busy these past five weeks have been here.”

                “Things should hopefully slow down soon. Maybe when he gets back you can take a few days off. Go away for a long weekend to Napa or somewhere like that,” she suggested.

                “Maybe, if I ever get to this never ending pile of work,” I said, pointing at the giant stack of papers in the inbox at the corner of my desk. “There’s just so much editing and proof reading to do, I swear if I don’t go cross-eyed in the next few days, it’ll be a miracle.”

                Melanie laughed. “I know what you mean. I feel like these writers are purposefully making errors because they know that we’re here to catch them and fix them.”

                I rolled my eyes. “It’s so annoying. I wish I could leave some of them as is because you can tell that they just don’t care so why should I? Then again, if it’s not fixed, I lose my job. So unfair,” I complained.

                “Oh the joys of the real world,” she said. We both went back to work, but I couldn’t help staring at the picture of Josh and I on my desk every few minutes. It was taken a few months ago when we were visiting his parents in Kentucky. Both of us had our arms around each other, smiling wide for the camera. I loved how I perfectly fit in his arms, my head tucked comfortably under his chin or in the area where his neck and shoulder met. I missed those arms around me more than anything. Unfortunately, he was currently in North Carolina filming the second installment of The Hunger Games; Catching Fire.

                “Want to come out and get a drink?” Melanie asked as we finished up for the day.

                “Sure, why not? I just have to be home by eight to Skype with Josh,” I responded.

                “Of course. We’ll make sure to get you a little tipsy for your chat with Lover Boy later. Maybe you’ll lose your inhibitions and flash him your boobs or have cybersex with him,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

                “Jesus, Melanie. Could you be anymore crass?” I asked, feeling my cheeks heat up.

                “Come on, Olive. You haven’t had sex in over a month and you refuse to have any sort of phone or internet sex with him. You need to get laid! You’re both bursting at the seams!” she exclaimed as we walked out into the parking lot.

                “It just wouldn’t feel right. I don’t want to touch myself and pretend it’s him. I want him to be the one touching me. It’s not the same when I do it myself. It’s nowhere near as intense,” I explained.

                “Oh, so you have tried a little ‘you-on-you’ time?” she asked.

                “Well of course, but it’s not satisfying so I gave up,” I replied.

                “Make him create a mold of his penis before he leaves to film another movie,” she said, giggling.

                “You’re insane,” I mumbled. We decided to go to a bar close to our places so we wouldn’t have to drive home. We both lived in the same area, mere blocks from each other, so we parked at our houses and met back up at the bar.

                “I’ll have a vodka soda with lime and my friend here will have a Captain and Coke,” Melanie told the bar tender.

                I sighed in content as the sweet, spicy taste of the coke and rum met my tongue. “God, if I could live off of this and not die of alcohol poisoning or liver failure, I would,” I remarked.

                “Same here. Cheers, to only two more weeks of celibacy,” she said, clinking her glass to mine.

                After two more drinks, I started to loosen up. “This was a great idea. I didn’t realize how badly I needed a drink,” I commented.

                “Olive, you could always use a drink. I know I sure can,” she said.

                I giggled and felt my phone vibrate in my bag. I pulled it out and saw I had a text from Josh asking if I could talk. “I’ll be right back,” I told Melanie.

                “Lover Boy?” she guessed.

                I nodded and got off the bar stool, wobbling my way out of the bar and onto the street. I called him and he picked up after the second ring.

                “Hi, Sweetheart,” he answered, sounding exhausted.

                “Hi. What’s up?” I asked, moving my numb tongue around.

                “Are you drunk?” he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

                “Little bit,” I replied.

                Josh laughed softly. “You’re so cute. I just wanted to talk to you because I can’t Skype tonight,” he told me.

                “You can’t?” I asked, completely dejected.

                “No, I have to shoot late. I’m on break now, so I figured I’d give you a call,” he explained.

                I sighed, tears welling up in my eyes. “I miss you,” I choked.

                “I miss you too, Olive. Please don’t cry,” he begged.

                “I can’t help it,” I sobbed, feeling drunk and emotional. “I miss seeing you and Skype is the only way I can do that. Now I can’t.”

                “Baby, please,” he said, choking up a bit himself. “I want to see you so bad. I wish I didn’t have to film all night, but I do. The best part of my day is seeing your face.”

                I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. “I guess we can Skype tomorrow night?” I asked, sniffling.

                “I hope so, baby. I really hope so,” he replied. I heard someone call his name in the background.

“You have to go?” I guessed.

                “Unfortunately, yes. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

                “Yeah, tomorrow,” I responded.

                “I love you, Olive. I miss you,” he said.

                “I love you, too and miss you more than anything.”

                I hung up the phone and wiped my face. Luckily my mascara hadn’t run, but I was sure my eyes were all puffy. I walked back into the bar and Melanie looked at me sadly. “He can’t Skype tonight,” I mumbled.

                “I figured it wouldn’t be awesome news, so I bought you a shot,” she said, pointing to the shot glass in front of my seat.

                I didn’t even ask what it was I just downed it as fast as possible. “Thanks,” I said, feeling the liquid burn my throat. After a few more drinks, I was more than ready to go home to my empty bed and cry myself to sleep. “I’m going to go home.”

                “Me too. You get in safe and have a good weekend, all right? I’ll see you Monday,” Melanie told me. I nodded and we walked out of the bar, going our separate ways. I was glad I lived only five minutes away because I was too drunk and too tired to walk much further. Josh and I shared a house with our friend Andre, but Andre was away on a business trip so I was home alone. I took my makeup off, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and threw on one of Josh’s shirts before curling up in our bed, holding his pillow to my chest. I cried for what felt like hours, wanting nothing more than to be in Josh’s arms at the moment. Eventually, I tired myself out and fell asleep.

                The sound of the bedroom door open woke me from my stupor, but I was still too drunk to move. I heard someone shuffling around the room and my heart began to beat out of my chest.  _What if it’s a burglar? What if it’s a rapist?_ I was completely freaking out, but I kept my eyes shut, not wanting the person to know I was awake. God forbid they had a gun. I felt the bed sink down next to me and I stiffened.  _Oh fuck, I’m going to get raped!_ A hand was placed on my shoulder and I immediately screamed, thrashing out at whoever was there.

                “OLIVE! STOP!” someone shouted, holding my flailing limbs down and placing a hand over my mouth. My eyes popped open and I almost fainted. Josh was on top of me, his face inches from mine, his tired eyes looking startled and concerned. When he realized I wasn’t going to scream again, he slowly lifted his hand away.

                “Josh?” I asked in utter disbelief.  _Am I having some drunken hallucination?_

“Yes. I’m here. I couldn’t wait one more moment to come home to you,” he confessed.

                “But… I thought you were filming?” I was so shocked I could barely form a complete thought.

                “I was filming. I finished a lot earlier than anticipated. I made sure I did everything perfectly in one or two takes so I wouldn’t have to wait two more weeks to come home. When I called you before, I was at the airport about to get on the flight back here,” he explained. “I wanted to surprise you.”

                I immediately burst into tears, my eyes still stinging from my crying jag earlier, and threw my arms around his neck. Josh lifted me up so he was sitting and I was in his lap. “You’re really home,” I sobbed into his neck.

                “I’m really home, baby. I’ve missed you so much. You have no idea how good it feels to have you back in my arms,” he admitted, running his fingers through my hair. Josh soothingly rocked me back and forth until my sobs turned into sniffles and occasional whimpers. Eventually, I pulled back to look at his face.

                “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve been feeling so down lately with you gone,” I told him.

                “I know. I’ve been feeling the same way. Next movie I make, we’re not going more than two weeks without seeing each other. I’ll fly back here or I’ll fly you out to wherever I am,” he vowed.

                “Good. I hate being away from you.” Josh leaned forward, capturing my lips with his for our first kiss in five weeks. My body felt like it was on fire the moment we reconnected and I deepened the kiss, allowing his tongue to enter my mouth. Josh slowly pulled away, pecking my lips softly.

                “I’ve missed that,” he murmured. He looked down and smiled. “I see you’re wearing my shirt. You look so sexy in it,” he commented.

                I blushed and nodded. “I’ve been wearing your shirts to bed. It makes me feel closer to you,” I admitted. Josh pulled me even closer so our hips were flush. I gasped, feeling him hard beneath his jeans. I moaned, grinding myself against him. “I want you,” I mumbled, kissing him again. Melanie was right; I most certainly needed to get laid.

                “I want you too, baby,” he whispered against my lips. “But right now, I just want to hold you in my arms.” I pulled away and pouted. “We’re both so exhausted and I want to take my time with you, so how about we cuddle and get some sleep and in the morning, I promise you we’ll spend hours in this bed most definitely not sleeping.”

                “Okay,” I agreed. I unwillingly let Josh go so he could strip down to his boxers and climb into the bed with me. He took his pillow and put it back where it belonged before laying down and pulling me into his arms.

                “Perfect,” he said, kissing my forehead.

                “Mmm,” I hummed in approval.

                “Goodnight, Sweetheart. I love you,” he whispered.

                “I love you, too. Thank you for coming home early.”

                “Anything for you.”

                I let Josh hold me all night long and had the best night of sleep in five weeks.


	27. Imagine Josh Slipping His Hands Around Your Naked Back

                I giggled lightly as Josh placed a kiss on the sensitive area behind my knee.

                “Ticklish?” he teased, kissing in the same spot again. I laughed and tried to pull away.

                “You know I am!” I exclaimed.

                Josh smiled and placed soft, wet kisses slowly up my inner thigh. My eyes closed, my legs shook and my stomach knotted in anticipation. “What happens if I kiss you… here?” he asked, placing a kiss over my underwear. My eyes popped open and I was confused. Josh’s head was no longer between my legs, but his fingers were slowly running up and down my inner thigh. I blinked at the harsh light and looked over to see him lying next to me, a hungry look in his eyes. “What were you dreaming about?” he asked huskily.

                I swallowed hard. So it had all been a dream. “You were…” I started before blushing bright red.

                “I was what?” he prodded, playing with the top of my underwear.

                “You were about to go down on me,” I whispered.

                Josh hummed, pressing his lips against my neck. “How about we make that dream come true?” he asked, sliding his hand past the elastic and touching me gently. I moaned loudly, pulling myself closer to him. “So wet, baby. You want me to do that?” he asked, stroking me over and over.

                “Please,” I begged.

                Josh moved and I whimpered at the loss of his talented fingers. He quickly slid my underwear off, throwing it over his shoulder. He positioned himself between my legs and kissed my stomach where my shirt had ridden up. “I’ve missed this so much,” he admitted.

                Before I could respond, Josh wasted no time in placing his mouth where his fingers had been. “Jesus!” I cried, threading my fingers through his Peeta blonde hair. I couldn’t keep still as Josh did unspeakably amazing things to me with his tongue and fingers. His free hand travelled upwards and under my shirt, squeezing my breast and adding to the sensations.

                I was climbing closer and closer to the edge when Josh suddenly stopped. I looked down at him, about to cry thinking this was another dream. He got up and rolled on his back, pulling my arm so I was on my knees. “This way,” he motioned, moving me so I was straddling his head. I ripped my shirt over my head and held on to the headboard as he pulled my hips down to meet his mouth. “So good,” he murmured against me.

                We had only been in this position a few times before, mostly because I was scared I would suffocate him in my pleasurable haze. He would constantly reassure me that he’d be fine and that he loved it when I lost control on top of him. I rested my forehead against my hands, looking down into his piercing eyes. He was staring intently up at me and I knew he was extremely turned on. He held my hips tighter, encouraging me to grind myself against him.

                “Josh, so close,” I whimpered, my hips jerking uncontrollably. He pushed two fingers into me and I fell over the edge, thanking God I had the headboard to hold onto. My body shuddered as Josh eased me down, his mouth placing soft kisses on me. When I could take no more, I pulled myself higher on my knees so I wasn’t sitting on his face.

                “I fucking love that, Olive,” he said.

                “You sure you’re okay?” I panted.

                “Are you kidding me? I’m fantastic!” he exclaimed. I felt him raise his hips behind me and he pulled his boxers off. “Now, get down here,” he said, helping me move so my knees were on either side of his hips and my breasts were in his face. He took one in his mouth and the flame within me ignited again. He kept switching breasts until I was grinding myself against his erection. “Take me in, baby,” he pleaded. I shifted my hips and with one thrust, he easily slid into me. We both moaned in unison as my muscles squeezed around him, feeling complete for the first time in five weeks. I began to move slowly, relishing the feeling of Josh finally being inside of me.

                He pulled my head down, kissing me passionately as his hips thrust up to meet mine. It felt so good to be with him like this again. He knew exactly how to turn me on and make sure I received as much pleasure as I could handle. My senses were on complete overload and I buried my face in his neck, trying to calm myself down so I wouldn’t orgasm too quickly.

                “Are you okay?” Josh asked, running his fingers through my hair.

                “Feels so good. Trying not to come,” I explained, squeezing my eyes shut.

                “Don’t hold back, baby. If you have to come, go for it. Come as many times as you can,” he encouraged.

                I moaned and sat up, moving my hips faster as I anchored my hands on his chest. His hands moved to my breasts, squeezing and pinching, making me spasm into yet another orgasm. “That’s it, baby. Let it go,” he whispered. Once I was spent, I collapsed on his chest, breathing heavily. Josh kissed my temple, giving me a few moments to recover. Once the fuzziness from my brain disappeared, Josh flipped us so he was on top. He started to thrust slowly, being mindful that I was overly sensitive. “How’d that feel?” he asked.

                “So good,” I slurred, a stupid smile stretching across my face.

                Josh smiled back and kissed me. “Think you can go again?” he asked, lifting my legs higher to move deeper.

                I gasped, digging my nails into his back. “Oh, God! Right there!” I cried.

                Josh chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He began to thrust harder, causing whimpers to escape my throat every time our hips met. Josh moved up on his knees, wrapping his hands around my back and pulling me closer, so I was sitting on his lap. Although I was on top of him, he was in control of our movements. “I’m so close, Olive,” he whispered, kissing me hard.

                I nodded, pressing my forehead against his. Tighter and tighter the coil in my stomach got until with one well placed, hard thrust, I was yet again falling into oblivion, Josh holding me close as he did the same. Both of us were shaking as we came down, not willing to let each other go. “I love you so much, Olive,” Josh told me, trying to catch his breath.

                “I love you, too, Josh,” I answered, kissing his shoulder. Slowly, he laid me down and pulled out. He collapsed beside me and pulled me so my head was resting on his chest.

                “Feels so good to have you in my arms again,” he commented, running his fingers lightly up and down my spine.

                “I know. I missed you so much,” I whispered.

                “You woke up twice last night, almost in tears, thinking that I wasn’t really here; that it was only a dream,” he said, lifting my chin up to look me in the eyes. “I meant what I said before we went to sleep; never again will we go more than two weeks without seeing each other.”

                “I was still a bit drunk when you got in, so I think that’s why I thought it was all a dream. Five weeks is way too long to go without seeing you,” I said.

                “Good thing I’m pretty much free for the next month. It means when you get home from work, I’ll be here. No more coming home to an empty bed. No more crying yourself to sleep,” he told me, his eyes sad.

                “How did you…” I started.

                “Your eyes. When I came in and you were still sleeping, I saw how puffy your eyes were. Plus, there was a massive tear stain on my pillowcase. I hate seeing you upset and I’m so sorry I made you cry last night. I felt sick the entire flight out here knowing you were crying. I really wanted to surprise you, though,” he explained.

                “It was the best surprise I’ve ever gotten,” I said, trying to make him look on the bright side.

                Josh smiled slightly. “The best?” he asked.

                I nodded. “No one has ever done anything like that for me,” I admitted.

                “Well, I’m glad it was me. Any amount of time away from you is torture. I finally feel complete again,” he said, contently.

                I nodded, cuddling closer to him. “I definitely feel complete again,” I agreed, yawning widely.

                “Tired?” he asked, chuckling lightly.

                “I sure am! You wore me out!” I exclaimed. “Although you can wear me out like that anytime you want.”

                “Oh, I plan on it. All weekend long,” he promised. “Come Monday, you might not be able to even walk.”

                “Mmmm can’t wait,” I purred.

                Josh laughed, kissing the top of my head. “Get some rest. When we wake up, we’ll get some food, and then I’m going to wear you out all over again.”

                “I’ll be dreaming of it,” I mumbled.

                I let myself drift off, knowing Josh was really here and he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.


	28. Imagine You're Having a Bad Stomach Ache

                I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to alleviate my nausea. The stomach bug had been going around my office for the past few weeks and I was pretty sure I was its newest victim. I’d felt a little bit off after getting home from work, but I chalked it up to being hungry. Once Josh and I had actually gotten to the restaurant, STK, my nausea started to kick in. I excused myself to the bathroom to try and calm my stomach down. So far, no such luck. I looked at myself in the mirror and cringed. I was extremely pale and I looked awful.  _So much for a romantic night out._  I took a deep breath, dried my face, and headed back out to the table, hoping to at least make it through dinner. When I got back, I saw my Filet Mignon was waiting for me. Suddenly, it didn’t look very appetizing.

                “You all right?” Josh asked as I sat across from him.

                I nodded, but didn’t make any move to pick up my utensils. I hadn’t felt this awful in a long time and I knew it was only going to get worse from here. Josh gave me a smile and started to eat. After two minutes of me not moving, he put his fork and knife down, looking concerned.

                “Olive, are you sure you’re all right? You haven’t touched your food and you’re looking a little pale,” he commented.

                I swallowed hard, praying I wouldn’t start throwing up when I opened my mouth. “I’m not feeling very well,” I admitted.

                “Why didn’t you say anything? We could have stayed home,” he said, grabbing my hand.

                “It’s fine, Josh. Finish your meal and I’ll take mine to go,” I insisted.

                “Are you sure?” he asked, not looking convinced.

                I nodded. He sighed and started to eat again, watching me carefully. After about five minutes, I was taking a turn for the worse. I was getting the chills, feeling dizzy, and my stomach pains were more intense. “Josh,” I whispered.

                He looked up at me, knowing automatically that something was wrong. “Baby, you do not look well at all,” he said.

                “Can we please leave?” I asked quietly. “I thought I could make it through dinner, but I feel like I’m going to pass out.” I was breathing heavier, holding on to the table to try and keep myself steady.

                Josh quickly signaled the waiter. “Can we please get the check and our food wrapped?” he asked.

                “Of course,” the waiter replied, removing our plates from in front of us. Josh moved his chair so he was sitting next to me and let me lean against him.

                “We’ll be out of here before you know it,” he assured me, pressing his lips to my forehead. “Olive, you feel very warm.”

                “I’m freezing,” I whispered, holding myself closer to him.

                “You have a fever,” he said, sounding worried.

                “I think I caught the stomach bug from work. I feel so sick,” I choked, trying not to cry.

                Josh rubbed my back, trying to soothe me as the waiter came back with the check and a bag of our food. Before he could walk away, Josh handed him the check back with a credit card. “Almost done, sweetheart,” he whispered. He slipped off his hoodie and wrapped it around me, trying to keep me warm.

                “I don’t think I’m going to make it home,” I confessed. My stomach was churning, threatening to expel its contents at any moment.

                “I’ll take the food out of the bag and you can use that if you need to. Let’s just get you home,” he said, kissing the top of my head. When his credit card came back, he put it back in his wallet and signed the receipt as fast as possible. We slowly made our way out of the restaurant as I tried not to double over from the severe stomach cramps. He handed the car ticket to the valet guy and told him to get it as fast as he could. The guy ran off and I had to sit down on the bench. There were a few paparazzi lurking around, yelling for Josh and snapping pictures.

                “I have to throw up,” I said. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but it was coming whether I wanted it to or not.

                I stood up and walked over to a bush behind a pillar where I was hidden from view. The moment I bent over, I started projectile vomiting, Josh holding my hair and rubbing my back. Tears were stinging my eyes, threatening to fall and my stomach heaved repeatedly.

                “Oh, God!” I cried once the episode was over, slumping back into Josh’s arms. My stomach was still killing me and I felt even dizzier.

                “I know, sweetheart. It’s all right. I’m going to get you home,” he promised. I hid my face as he led me back over to the valet where his car was waiting for us.

                “What’s the matter, your girlfriend too drunk to function?” one of the photographers jabbed.

                “She has a stomach virus, you asshole. I hope you get it,” Josh spat angrily, helping me into the passenger seat.

                “I’m not buying it,” another one said skeptically.

                “Good thing no one cares what your opinion is. No one owes you an explanation,” Josh bit back, sliding into the driver’s seat and slamming the door shut.

                I cringed as we sped off, knowing that TMZ or some other gossip site would spin this to make me look like an out of control alcoholic. That thought quickly faded as I had the urge to vomit again.

                “Bag,” I gasped. Josh had luckily removed the food from it earlier and handed me the empty bag. I rolled my window down and let loose into the plastic, hunched over and feeling completely miserable. The twenty minute drive home seemed to last forever as I was constantly sick and trying not to pass out from being so dizzy. Josh held my hair back the entire time and tried to get me to calm down.

                “We’re home, sweetheart. Let’s get you inside,” he said, pulling into the driveway. He got out and came around to my side to help me out. He took my sick bag from me and quickly threw it in the trash by the curb before practically dragging me into the house.

                “Whoa, what happened?” our roommate, Andre, asked from the couch.

                “Stomach virus kicked in at the restaurant,” Josh explained, leading me into our bathroom. He set me down gently in front of the toilet on the floor. The room was spinning violently and I couldn’t hold out any longer, promptly passing out. When I came to, there was something cool on my forehead and Josh was looking down at me, concerned. My stomach pain was in full force and I pulled myself up, hanging my head into the toilet to heave whatever was left in my system. At this point it was just bile and it burned my esophagus horribly.

                “How long was I out for?” I asked once I was finished.

                “About a minute. You scared me half to death. Are you still feeling dizzy?” he asked.

                I nodded my aching head. For the next three hours, Josh stayed with me in the bathroom as my vomiting turned into dry heaving since there was nothing left in me. The dry heaving was way worse than actually throwing up and I sobbed continuously, my diaphragm not letting up anytime soon. Josh kept placing the cool washcloth from earlier on the back of my neck and on my forehead, wiping the sweat away.

                “I hate this,” I complained, lying down on the cool tile floor.

                “I know, Olive. I hate seeing you like this,” he said, sounding upset.

                “I hope you don’t get it. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

                “If I get it, I get it. It’ll suck, but I’m not leaving your side until you feel better,” he vowed.

                Since Josh wouldn’t leave the bathroom, Andre brought in glasses of water to help from keeping me dehydrated. I threw up most of it, but at least there would be no reason to take me to the hospital for dehydration. At around three o’clock in the morning, it had been over an hour since I had last thrown up, but my stomach was still killing me and I was still dizzy and exhausted. Josh gave me a bit of mouthwash that I spit into the toilet to get rid of the nasty taste on my tongue. I immediately laid back on the floor and curled up in a ball, gripping my stomach and sobbing uncontrollably.

                “I’m bringing you to bed, Olive,” Josh said. “I’ll keep the garbage can at the edge just in case, but you need sleep and the bathroom floor is not comfortable.”

                Josh easily picked me up and I buried my tear stained face in his neck, still not able to stop crying. He brought me into our bedroom and gently laid me down on the bed. He undressed me and put one of his t-shirts on me so I was more comfortable. After putting the garbage can on the floor by my head, he stripped down and turned the lights off, climbing into the bed next to me.

                “Come here, baby,” he whispered, turning me onto my left side so I was facing him. He wiped the tears away from my cheeks and then slowly caressed my aching stomach.

                “I’m so tired,” I cried, clutching onto his shirt.

                “I know, Olive. You’ve had a long night and you’re in a lot of pain. Just close your eyes and try to relax,” he murmured. He rolled over for a brief second, turned on the iHome, and went back to softly rubbing my stomach. I let my eyes close and the last thing I heard was The Fray’s “Be Still” playing quietly in the background.

My eyes popped open again after what felt like only a few minutes of sleep. The room was lit with the dim light of the early morning. The sun still hadn’t risen, but the sky was turning a lighter blue. Josh was fast asleep beside me, the iHome still on and his hand still on my stomach. It didn’t hurt anymore, just ached from all the vomiting I did. I was definitely not feeling one hundred percent better, but I was thankful to not be nauseous anymore. Slowly, I slipped out of bed, stumbling into the bathroom since the dizziness hadn’t faded. I was extremely thirsty and drank the water from the sink for a few minutes until my mouth wasn’t dry. I quickly used the bathroom and crawled back into bed.

                Josh stirred, yawning widely. He stretched and blinked his eyes open, looking at me. “How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice gravelly from sleep.

                “Still shaky and lightheaded, but not queasy anymore,” I replied.

                “That’s good. You need to rest and recuperate today. Drink lots of water and maybe eat some soup if you’re feeling up to it,” he said.

                I nodded, snuggling into his arms. “Thank you for last night. I’m sure the press thinks I’m a drunken mess, but that’s their problem.”

                Josh frowned. “I’ll call my publicist this morning. I said some harsh words to the paparazzi last night, but they deserved it. I’ll make sure it’s known that you did not even have one drink,” he promised.

                “Okay,” I whispered. “Also, thank you for taking care of me. I know it wasn’t pretty to see me like that, especially when I passed out.”

                “I love you more than anything, Olive. We may not be married yet, but I will still be by your side in sickness and in health,” he said.

                I smiled softly. “I love you, Josh. I’d do the same for you.”

                “Hopefully I don’t catch it so you won’t have to.”

                I nodded, letting my eyes close. “If you do, I won’t leave your side either,” I mumbled, feeling exhausted again.

                Josh chuckled lightly, his chest rumbling. “Thank you, Olive. For now though, just rest and know that I’ll be here when you wake up,” he whispered.

                I smiled, letting sleep and thoughts of spending the rest of my life with Josh overcome me.


	29. Imagine Josh Carrying You in his Arms

                “It’s pretty chilly out considering we’re in the desert,” I commented, pulling my white cardigan on.

                “It’s beautiful. I’m glad it’s not too hot,” Josh said, pushing his sunglasses up higher on his nose. We were currently in La Quinta, California for the Guess Hotel and Smoke & Mirrors party for the Coachella Festival. We were going to head over to Indio later to catch The Shins and Bon Iver, but for now we were content hanging out at the low-key party.

                “I hear they have these cake flavored drinks at the bar. Why must I only be twenty?” Avan complained.

                I gagged a little bit. “Have you ever had cake flavored vodka? It’s disgusting. That’s on my vomit list right under Smirnoff Ice,” I said.

                “Cake is delicious!” Avan exclaimed.

                “I agree, but eating real cake and drinking alcohol that’s cake flavored are two different things,” I replied.

                “Olive is happy with her rum and Coke,” Josh said, draping his arm across my waist and pulling me closer.

                “I am,” I agreed, taking a sip of my drink. “It hasn’t failed me yet.”

                “This is why I love being from Canada. It’s only nineteen to start drinking,” Avan said.

                “For some reason ever since The Hunger Games came out, bartenders add alcohol to my beverages whether I ask for it or not. I don’t mind, but they’re screwed if they get caught,” Josh told us.

                I smiled. “Lucky I’m twenty-five and don’t have to worry about that anymore!” I exclaimed.

                “Yeah, lucky,” Avan pouted. His girlfriend, Zoey, walked over to us with a water bottle and stood on her toes to give him a kiss.

                “Still not upset you’re not allowed to drink, are you?” she asked.

                “I’m Canadian! Shouldn’t I get a free pass?” he whined.

                Josh rolled his eyes. “Zoey can’t drink here or in Canada, you don’t see her being a baby about it,” Josh teased.

                “Whatever,” Avan mumbled.

                “So, Vanessa is here,” Zoey said carefully.

                Josh tensed and pulled me tighter to him. “With Austin I hope,” he said.

                Zoey nodded. “Yeah, I don’t really understand what the hell she’s wearing. She’s dressed like a Native American; feather head piece and face paint galore! She looks pretty stupid.”

                Josh and Vanessa had briefly dated over a year ago and even though she had a boyfriend and he was dating me, she was still very flirty and didn’t like me much. I didn’t care about her either way. She’s the one that looked pathetic, throwing herself at my boyfriend even though he wanted nothing to do with her. “Hopefully she doesn’t come over here,” Josh said.

                “Well, her outfit choices last year were pretty terrible, so I’m not surprised they are this year as well. She tries too hard to be this indie, hippie, boho type girl. She’s failing miserably,” I commented.

                Zoey nodded. “She’s a bit of an attention whore.”

                We looked over by the bar to see Vanessa glancing at us before grabbing Austin by the neck and shoving her tongue down his throat. “Classy,” I remarked, knowing she could hear me.

                “Wow. I’m pretty sure she thinks she’s making you jealous, Josh,” Avan said, smirking.

                Josh made a noise of disgust. “I don’t know what was going through my mind when I dated her those two months. I’m going to chalk it up to me being young and ignorant.”

                “You also have a thing for older girls. Case in point,” I replied, pointing to myself.

                Josh turned me so I was facing towards him, both of his hands resting just above my behind. “You’re the only older girl I have a thing for. None of the others have ever come close to making me feel the way I feel about you,” he whispered, kissing the tip of my nose.

                I giggled, placing my arms around his neck, making sure not to spill my drink. “That’s good to know. I’m glad you’re also the only guy to ever make me feel this way as well.”

                “Aw, how sweet. I didn’t realize you two moved past holding hands yet,” I heard Vanessa’s annoying, high-pitched, baby voice cut through our moment.

                “Vanessa, how are you? I expect we’ll be having another nude picture scandal from you any day now? It’s been awhile,” Avan said.

                Josh snorted, burying his face in my neck and shaking with laughter. Vanessa’s eyes flashed towards Avan. “Eat me, asshole,” she spat.

                “No thanks. I’ve seen pictures of your vagina and I’d rather go play in traffic,” he replied.

                Vanessa rolled her eyes, pulling Austin closer. “Josh, you remember Austin, don’t you?” she asked.

                “Sure,” Josh said, shaking Austin’s hand. “Good to see you, man.”

                He may have disliked Vanessa, but he and Austin had nothing against one another. “You too. You coming back tomorrow as well?” he asked.

                Josh shook his head. “Nah, we’ll be relaxing in Santa Barbara tomorrow.”

                “Sounds romantic,” Vanessa said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

                “Vanessa, can we help you with something, or are you just trying to fill your bitch quota for the day?” I asked, starting to get annoyed.

                Vanessa gave me the fakest look as if she was hurt. “Olive, I don’t know what your problem is. Maybe you’re PMSing or maybe you’re just a bitter person, but I am not here to be a bitch.”

                Zoey coughed loudly, but it sounded a lot like she said “bullshit.”

                “Right, so your little snarky comment earlier was to be funny? You need to work on your stand-up,” I remarked coolly.

                Vanessa was about to say something when Josh cut her off. “Just walk away, Vanessa,” he said.

                She huffed and stormed off as Josh dismissed her, dragging Austin along with her who muttered a feeble “goodbye.” They left the party, presumably to head back to the festival, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

                “Poor Austin,” Zoey commented.

                “I have nothing against the guy, but he’s pretty stupid,” Avan said.

                Josh shrugged. “He’ll see her true colors soon enough. Then he’ll go running to the hills.”

                I chugged back the rest of my drink, letting the alcohol calm me down. “I need another drink,” I mumbled, heading back over to the bar by myself. I was in no way jealous of Vanessa, but I hated that she thought she was clever by making remarks about Josh and mine’s relationship. I didn’t shit all over her relationship with Austin to her face, why did she have to do that to me? She was twenty-three years old and still acted as if she were in high school.

                “Olive, are you all right?” Josh asked softly from behind me.

                “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, not looking at him.

                He sighed, wrapping his arms around me from behind. “She’s jealous, sweetheart. She played games with me and I called her out on it and dumped her. She’s trying to get back at me for it, but I’m not stupid. I’m not going to fall for her bullshit again,” he whispered, kissing the back of my neck.

                “I just hate how childish she is. It’s so annoying to have her think she’s so funny when she says ‘oh I’m the best Josh has ever had’ in a fake joking manner every time we see her. I’m sorry for not being a huge slut and actually waiting for someone I was in love with,” I said the hurt obvious in my voice.

                Josh turned me around so we were facing each other and took off his sunglasses so I could see him looking into my eyes. “ _You_  are the best I’ve ever had, Olive. Do you know why?” he asked. “It’s because I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. Just because Vanessa is experienced, doesn’t mean she’s the best. I never had that deep connection with her like I do with you. Our relationship, every aspect of it, is better than anything I’ve ever had,” he assured me.

                  I rested my head on his chest, letting him hold me. He always knew how to make me feel special, like I was the only girl in the world. “I’m sorry. She just gets under my skin every time we run into her. I don’t understand what I ever did to make her be so rude to me.”

                  “Don’t apologize. She makes me angry, too. You didn’t do anything, Olive. She thinks that you stole me from her, when I was the one who pursued you. Let her be miserable and delusional for all I care. As long as we’re happy, that’s all that matters,” he said, giving me a quick, but loving kiss. Josh and I weren’t big on PDA especially when there were cameras around.

                  I nodded and let him go. “All right. No more Vanessa talk. Let’s just have fun.”

                  Josh smiled and waited while I ordered my drink before we headed back over to Avan and Zoey, hand in hand. The two of them looked happier than ever. They had briefly split up right before Josh and I met. That was when that stupid bet about who could date the most girls came into play. Once Josh had met me and forfeited, Avan had realized the error of his ways and got back together with Zoey.

                  “Let’s go get a gift bag and some sunglasses!” Zoey exclaimed. We walked into the sunglass hut area and were able to pick out one pair that we wanted for free. The four of us decided on Aviators and let them take a picture of us for their website. We grabbed the gift bags and walked back out to the pool area, seeing what was inside.

                  “Sweet! Water guns!” Avan said excitedly. He was holding a green plastic one while Josh was holding a red one.

                  “Do you mind posing for a picture for our website?” one of the girls working the event asked Avan and Josh. They agreed, posing with the small toy guns while Zoey and I giggled and rolled our eyes at their antics.

                  “I swear, you’d think they were twelve years old,” she commented.

                  “Most of the time,” I replied.

                  Josh stuck his tongue out at me and I smiled.  _He’s so cute._  Once the sun started to set, we hopped in Josh’s car and headed over to the Coachella grounds to check out the festival. We walked through, occasionally being noticed, but luckily it was extremely crowded so we weren’t mobbed. We watched The Shins and Bon Iver in the VIP section as the sky turned dark, rocking out and swaying to the music.

                  “Have fun in Santa Barbara!” Zoey called to us as Josh and I headed back to his car when the concert was over.

                  “Thanks! See you guys in a few days!” Josh answered. We got into his car and began to make the trek back to Los Angeles.

                  “Today was fun for the most part,” I said, yawning widely.

                  “It was. It was nice to just hang out,” he replied.

                  I nodded, pulling out my phone and checking Twitter. “Well according to Just Jared, Vanessa and Austin were spotted packing on some pretty intense PDA,” I told him, clicking on the link to see pictures of them at the party and the festival all over each other.

                  “So gross,” Josh shuddered. “She’s such an attention whore.”

                  “Lots of pictures of her stumbling around drunk behind him. Very attractive.” I scrolled through and cringed a little at the “suggested stories” links. “And it looks like our kiss at the party was also caught on camera.”

                  “What do you mean?” he asked.

                  I clicked the link. “Josh Hutcherson and Entertainment Weekly writer girlfriend, Olive Fairs, share a tasteful smooch at the Guess Hotel and Smoke & Mirrors party earlier today for the Coachella Festival. The couple looked more in love than ever as they held hands and kept their arms around each other throughout the day, sharing sweet kisses every once in awhile when they thought no one was watching. They seemed to be in their own world on cloud nine and we couldn’t be happier for them,” I read out loud. There was a picture of our kiss by the bar that Josh quickly glanced at.

                  “Well, that’s not bad,” he said.

                  I shook my head. “No, not bad at all. I wouldn’t mind if it was never written, though.”

                  “Agreed.” Josh took my hand in his and I put my phone back into my bag, yawning again. I rested my head back against the headrest, staring out into the black night and letting my eyes drift shut. The next thing I was aware of was my seat belt being unbuckled and being lifted out of the car. I groaned and slowly opened my eyes, seeing that we were home and I was in Josh’s arms.

                  “Go back to sleep, sweetheart,” he whispered.

                  “Put me down,” I murmured, trying to stay awake.

                  Josh didn’t say anything, just lightly kissed me on the lips as he took me inside. I guess he must have called Andre because he opened the door for us, looking like he was about to fall asleep on his feet.

                  “Night,” he mumbled heading back towards his room.

                  “Night, man. Thank you for getting the door,” Josh whispered. I snuggled further into his arms and shut my eyes again, feeling him walking towards our room. He gently laid me down on the bed, pulling my sandals off and helping me into one of his t-shirts. I heard him shuffling around the room, presumably taking his clothes off, before climbing in the bed next to me, pulling me close. “Good night, sweetheart,” he whispered, kissing my temple.

                  I hummed and let myself drift back off to sleep in his arms.


	30. Imagine Josh's and yours Engagement on the Front Cover of the Tabloids

                Venice, Italy has always been one of my favorite cities. Everything about it was beautiful. Stepping onto the island was like being transported back through time. Sure, the billboards and advertisements took away some of the ambiance, but when you walked through the old, narrow streets and over the bridges of the canals, you knew that if it was centuries in the past, it would still look exactly the same. Earlier today, Josh and I embarked on a romantic gondola ride through the small canals, went shopping for the famous blown glass and intricate lace, and enjoyed Bellini’s at Harry’s Bar; where legends such as Ernest Hemingway and Orson Wells used to retreat.

                The sun was starting to get low in the sky over the Piazza San Marco as Josh and I boarded a private yacht that he had rented for the night.

                “So, what’s on the agenda now? What do you have up your sleeve?” I asked Josh, the boat pulling away from the dock.

                “Well, we’re going to be having dinner while we sail around Venice,” he replied.

                I smiled. “Sounds very romantic,” I commented, kissing him softly.

                “What can I say, I’m a romantic kind of guy,” he teased. Josh led me to the top deck where there was a table for two set up for us. Two plates of Chicken Francese and Spinach Lasagna awaited us as we sat down and one of the crew members poured us a glass of Prosecco each.

                “Shall we?” Josh asked, gesturing towards the food. We began to eat, moaning in appreciation at the delicious meal.

                “Whoever cooked this, can we bring them back to LA with us and hire them as a full time chef?” I asked, trying to resist the urge to lick my plate clean.

                “Considering the chef owns his own restaurant, I don’t think that’s possible,” Josh said with a laugh.

                I pouted. “I guess I’m going to have to attempt to make this one night. It just won’t be near as delicious as this was.”

                “Olive, you are a fantastic cook. I bet you could make it exactly the same,” Josh encouraged.

                I smiled. “Such a charmer.” The desert, chocolate gelato, was brought out to us by the same crew member who poured us the Prosecco.

                Josh and I thanked him and he went back down the stairs, leaving the two of us alone. We ate the gelato in a comfortable silence, enjoying the warm breeze and each other’s company. Josh finished his gelato first and sat back, biting his lip and shaking his leg.

                “Are you okay?” I asked. He seemed tense out of nowhere and I wondered if he was getting sea sick.

                “I’m fine,” he answered, the nervousness still not leaving his features.

                “Are you sure? You look like you’re about to throw up or something. Is the boat making you sick?”

                Josh shook his head. “I’m fine, Olive. Just full,” he said. I finished my gelato, still watching him. He didn’t make eye contact with me and I started to get worried.  _What if something is wrong? Why is he avoiding me?_  I stood up and walked to the railing, watching the sun start to set over Venice. It was so beautiful, but I couldn’t help the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that there was something wrong with Josh. I felt his arms wrap around me from behind and his nose go into my hair, breathing deeply. “I love you,” he whispered.

                I relaxed into him.  _Maybe I was reading too much into his body language before. Maybe he is just full._ “I love you, too,” I replied, turning to face him.

                He was breathing heavily and his forehead was breaking out with beads of perspiration. “Josh, you really don’t look well,” I said worriedly.

                He took a deep breath and stepped back, holding my hands. “I’m not sick, Olive. I promise,” he swore.

                “Well what’s going on, then? You look nervous about something,” I said, the feeling of dread taking over me.  _Maybe he has to film far away for a long time and he can’t bring me?_

                “I’m just nervous about how you’ll react,” he mumbled.

                “What do you mean? What’s going on?” I asked, starting to panic.

                “Here goes nothing,” he whispered under his breath. He looked me deep in the eyes and squeezed my hands in his. “Olive, I love you more than anything,” he started.

                “But…” I said, my body starting to shake.

                His eyes widened. “No, no but!” he exclaimed. “I love you so much. From the moment I met you, I knew you were someone special. Every single day I continue to fall in love with you even more. You’re so beautiful, inside and out. There is no one in the world like you and I’m so glad I get to call you mine.”

He let go of my hands, taking a deep breath and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small, turquoise box and got down on one knee in front of me. I gasped, covering my mouth as I realized he was proposing.

                “Olive Grace Fairs, you’re it for me and I hope I’m it for you, too. I want forever with you, nothing less than that. Will you marry me?” he asked, staring hopefully up at me and opening the box. The velvet inside housed a stunning, massive, halo, diamond engagement ring. Tears were streaming down my face as I tried to make my brain tell my vocal chords to work.

                “Josh,” I whispered. “Of course I’ll marry you!”

                Josh smiled wide and stood up, pulling me into his arms and kissing me passionately. My fingers automatically threaded through his hair and I deepened the kiss, all the while still crying tears of joy. “I love you,” I whispered against his lips. He kissed me one last time and pulled away.

                “I love you, too, Olive. Thank you for making me the happiest man alive,” he replied. He let me go and gently took the ring out of the box. He grabbed my left hand and kissed my ring finger before sliding it on. “Perfect fit.”

                I smiled, staring down at the brilliant, glittering ring. It was massive, but tasteful and beyond beautiful. “I love it,” I told him, smiling up at him.

                Josh smiled back and wiped away the excess tears from my cheeks. “I designed it myself. I wanted a ring that was you and this was the outcome.” I kissed him again before hearing applause and cheers. I blushed and saw that the crew members were clapping for us and popping open another bottle of Prosecco.

                “They knew?” I guessed.

                Josh nodded. “I’ve had this planned since we booked the trip so they knew I’d be asking you to marry me.”

                The crew congratulated us and toasted our engagement. They took pictures of Josh and me on our phones and cameras so we could send them to his parents and our friends to share the happy news. The sun was set completely and the city was lit up as we de-boarded the yacht when it reached the dock. Josh and I thanked our crew for everything and headed back to the hotel, hand in hand.  _I’m Josh’s fiancé. We’re getting married._ I still couldn’t believe Josh had just asked me to marry him. I was so excited that we were officially going to start our life together.

                “We have to call your mom,” I said, once we were back in the room.

                “She knows I proposed, but I promised I’d call her with your answer,” he laughed. “She knew you’d say yes.”

                “Did you not think I would?” I asked.

                “I knew you would, I was just nervous. I think every guy feels that way when they’re about to ask the woman they love to marry them,” he said.

                “I thought you were going to tell me something devastating, like you had to go away to film for months and I couldn’t go with you or something,” I admitted.

                Josh kissed me softly. “I don’t care what kind of movie it is, even if it will guarantee me an Oscar, if it kept me away from you for long, I wouldn’t take the roll,” he said seriously. I kissed him, pulling him over to the bed when his ringing phone interrupted us.

                “It’s your mom,” I said without even needing to see the caller ID. Josh pulled his phone out of his pocket and sure enough it was Michelle.

                “Hi, mom,” he answered, smiling at me and put her on speaker phone so we could both talk to her.

                “Well?” she asked, sounding extremely anxious.

                “I said yes!” I exclaimed into the phone. She started to scream and cry while Chris and Connor cheered in the background.

                “We’re so happy! You’re officially going to be a Hutcherson!” Michelle cried.

                “I can’t wait! I’ve never been happier,” I confessed.

                “Neither have I,” Josh added.

                “Okay, we just wanted to know if she said yes so we’re going to let you two love birds go,” Chris said.

                “Thanks, dad. We’ll see you when we get back.” Josh and I said our goodbyes and hung up the phone. “Now, where were we?” he murmured, pulling me close. Josh and I spent the rest of the night making love. When I woke up the next morning, I thought it was all a dream until I saw the sparkling diamond ring on my left hand. The next week, Josh and I traveled to Florence and Rome, sightseeing and enjoying our time away from our regular lives.

                “I’m so not ready to go back to reality,” I admitted as we landed at LAX.

                “I know what you mean. We’ll have to go back to Italy soon,” he said. After clearing customs, we got our baggage and thankfully got out of the airport without encountering any photographers. When we got home, our roommate, Andre, was waiting for us.

                “Congratulations the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Hutcherson,” he said, giving us both a hug. “The whole world is happy for you!”

                I looked at him, confused. “What do you mean the whole world?” I asked.

                Andre led us into the kitchen where there were about fifteen tabloids on the table, each cover with a picture of Josh and I in Italy with phrases pertaining to our engagement.

                “What the hell?” Josh asked, picking one up. The front cover was a picture of us in Rome with the headline “She Said YES! Josh Hutcherson Engaged!” He opened up to the article where they had a close up of my engagement ring, saying that Josh had proposed that week, but no further details were available and our representatives were not commenting.

                “Jesus. We barely tell all of our friends and family and it’s already on the cover of every single magazine. This is nuts,” Josh said.

                “It’s going to get even crazier. Now they’ll start speculating about a wedding date and if Olive is knocked up,” Andre said.

                I grabbed the magazine from Josh and threw it down on the table. “Screw the press. They don’t know us and it’s none of their business. We’re happy, we know the truth, and that’s all that matters,” I said with conviction.

                Josh smiled and kissed me. “I’m so glad I’m marrying you,” he whispered.

                The press could say whatever they wanted and speculate about everything, the only thing that matter was that Josh and I were happy and in love. No one could break that.


	31. Imagine You and Josh Having Rough Make-up Sex

                “That fucking jerk!” I shouted, slamming my front door closed and throwing my purse on the floor in anger. I stomped into the living room, fuming and cursing.

                “You sound cheerful,” my roommate, Ali, said from the couch as she put her phone down.

                “He makes me so mad I could tear my hair out!” I yelled, pulling on my short blonde hair.

                “Josh?” she asked, looking surprised. “What happened?”

                “He’s being a huge douche, that’s what happened!” I plopped down on the couch next to her, breathing heavily.

                “Damn, he must be because you guys never fight,” she commented.

                “Stupid, ugly, crazy fan girl,” I mumbled angrily.

                “Okay, you lost me there,” Ali said, confused. “Start from the beginning.”

                “We went out for brunch like we usually do on Saturdays and everything was fine. Everything was normal. Then there was this girl that walked in and she just marched right on over to our table and said to him ‘I saw you through the window from outside and I know this will probably be my only chance to tell you that even though we’ve never met, I feel like we have this connection and I’d kick myself if we didn’t get the chance to explore it.’ Ali, I was sitting right fucking there! I was holding his hand for God’s sake!” I shouted.

                “What did he say?” she asked.

                “He just kind of laughed and gave her a weird look. Then she asked if he would be open to talking to her about it! You know what he said? ‘I guess.’ I just looked at him like he was joking and then this girl sat down right next to him! So I was like ‘Hi, I’m his girlfriend, we’re eating and can you kindly please go away,’ and she gave me this nasty look like I was the one intruding! You know what Josh did? Not a damn thing! So I grabbed my bag and left, telling them to have a lovely day together. He called after me, but I ran,” I exclaimed.

                “Olive, he’s in a tough situation. He probably didn’t want to be rude because the girl is obviously unstable and he probably didn’t want her to flip out or go to the press to spread rumors about him or you. Josh loves you. He would never hurt you,” Ali tried to reason.

                “He has a funny way of showing it! He should have told her that he was flattered but in a very happy relationship,” I said.

                “Look, I’m not saying what he did wasn’t wrong, I’m just saying that this girl is obviously crazy. He was probably just being nice in hopes that the girl wouldn’t go all psycho bitch and try to murder you both.”

                I looked at Ali incredulously. “You fucking talked to him, didn’t you.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

                Ali had the decency to look guilty. “He called about five minutes before you walked in the door. He was really upset, Olive. He explained the situation to me. He said the girl was obviously delusional and you know that he is such a polite guy, he didn’t want to say or do anything that would cause her to lash out.”

                “Oh, but if the situation makes me mad or lash out, it’s okay?” I asked, anger welling up inside of me.

                “He feels awful. He told me he explained to the girl that you were the love of his life and nothing would ever change that. Then he just left her there and went to go after you, but you were already gone. I’m sure you have about fifteen missed calls from him right about now,” she said.

                I stood up, glaring at Ali. “I don’t care. Right now I want nothing to do with Josh or you!” I exclaimed, angrily.

                Ali looked taken aback. “Olive, he called me upset. What would you have liked me to do?”

                “I don’t know, maybe side with your best friend? Josh was wrong, Ali. Now you’re going to take his side? I don’t care what his reasoning was for all of it, what he did was not okay,” I explained.

                “I’m not taking anyone’s side, Olive. I know what he did was wrong, but I also know that he didn’t do anything to deliberately hurt you,” she whispered.

                I rolled my eyes and walked away. Ali called after me and I answered her by slamming my bedroom door. I threw myself down on my bed and shoved my face in my pillow, letting it absorbed my tears and muffle my sobs. Today was such a shitty day and I wanted nothing more than for it to be over. My boyfriend was being a jerk and my best friend was meddling in my love life. I had never felt more alone in California than I did at that very moment. I let myself cry for the next fifteen minutes before there was a knock on my bedroom door.

                “Olive?” Ali called through the wood. “Look I know you’re pissed at me and I don’t blame you, but I just wanted to say that I love you and that I know you and Josh will work this out. I’m going out to Kyle’s for the rest of the day and I’ll be back tomorrow.”

                I refused to respond to her and heard her sigh before walking away. The front door shut and I let go of my pillow, rolling over so I was staring up at the ceiling, my tears rolling down my temples. The doorbell rang and I contemplated not answering since it was probably Ali just forgetting her keys, but I felt bad and got out of bed. I swung the door open to tell her to grab her damn keys, but stopped when I saw Josh, looking like someone had killed his puppy.

                “Olive,” he whispered, sounding distraught. I went to slam the door in his face, but he stopped it with his hand. “Olive, please,” he begged.

                “Fuck you!” I spat, trying to push the door closed. Unfortunately, Josh was a lot stronger than me and pushed it open enough for him to get inside before shutting it.

                “Let me explain,” he said. I slapped him across the face without even thinking about it. He flinched, but didn’t move. “I deserved that.”

                “You deserve hell of a lot more than that!” I exclaimed.

                “I know,” he whispered. “Olive, I didn’t mean to hurt you. That girl was a lunatic and I didn’t want her to freak out on us. Who knows what she’s capable of.”

                “So that’s supposed to make what you did all right? I don’t think so!” I cried, wiping my cheeks.

                Josh looked completely devastated. “What I did was the complete opposite of all right. I should have told her to get lost, but like I said, she might have gone off the deep end. You heard what she was saying. Did she sound like someone who was all there?” he asked.

                “It doesn’t matter, Josh! What’s the worst she could have done; tried to stab us with a butter knife? Get real! You need to learn how to not let these fans do whatever they want and walk all over you! That’s not fair to you and it’s not fair to me either, especially when shit happens like today!” I shouted.

                Josh sighed. “I’m trying, Olive. I’m trying to be a good boyfriend to you and I’m trying to make my fans happy as well. I know it’s impossible to please everyone, but you’re my first priority and I need to start showing you that,” he confessed.

                “It’s because of you I’ve been a god damn mess all morning and can’t stop crying. I’m so mad I could break something!” I exclaimed.

                “I hate that I made you cry,” he whispered. “You have no idea how much it hurts me to see you so upset and know that I’m the reason why. You have every right to be angry with me. Hell, I’m angry with me. I just want to work through this because I’m a wreck without you.”

                Josh stepped towards me and tried to wrap his arms around me, but I pushed him away. “You think this is going to make it all better?” I asked incredulously.

                “I’m trying, Olive. I don’t know how else to make everything back to normal. We’ve never fought about something like this,” he replied.

                He tried to hold me again and I kept pushing him away. The more he tried, the more I would push away. I even slapped him across the face again for good measure. Eventually, Josh was getting frustrated and grabbed my waist roughly, slamming me against the wall and planting his lips on mine. I resisted at first, but once I felt the urgency in his touch and in his kiss, I gave in. He was being forceful and aggressive and it was turning me on.

                I grabbed his hair and pressed my hips against his, grinding hard and moaning. Josh pulled me away from the wall and lifted me up, walking towards my dining room. He threw one of the chairs away from the table and it clattered to the floor. He sat me on the edge of the wood and tore my tank top down the middle. I gasped at his strength and pulled his hair again.

                “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to hurt you today,” he whispered against my lips as he palmed my breasts through my bra. I yanked the back of his shirt up and he pulled away from me so I could tear it over his head.

                “Shut the fuck up and fuck me,” I demanded.

                Josh’s eyes widened before he got a wicked gleam in them. “Is that what you want, sweetheart? Because if you do, I’ll fuck you until this table breaks,” he whispered seductively. I whimpered at the dirty words leaving his mouth and tugged on his jeans. Josh pulled my bra off as fast as he could before removing my jeans and underwear in one go. He roughly pushed two fingers into me and I cried out, grasping his shoulders and digging my nails into the skin.

                “Fuck, Josh!” I exclaimed.

                “I will, don’t worry,” he promised. “You’re so wet for me, baby. You like what I’m doing to you?” he asked.

                I nodded, pressing my hips closer to his hand. His fingers were pressing hard against the right spot and I was shaking uncontrollably. He leaned down and lightly bit my earlobe. “Come,” he commanded, pressing even harder on my g-spot. My body obeyed and I went spiraling into a mind blowing orgasm, thrashing against him and moaning loudly. When I came down, I laid back on the table, trying to catch my breath and stop twitching.

                “So good,” I whimpered.

                Josh undid his pants and pushed them down with his boxers so they were around his ankles. He leaned over me to kiss my neck. “You wanted me to fuck you, baby. Now I will,” he whispered in my ear. We both cried out as he slammed into me in one, hard thrust. My muscles tensed around him at the abrupt intrusion, but he barely gave me time to adjust before he was pounding into me hard and fast, my back sliding along the wood with each thrust. I was grasping at his sweaty back, trying to relearn how to breathe. Josh and I had always had an amazing sex life, but this was definitely beyond anything I’d ever experienced.

                “You feel so fucking good, Olive. Always do. I can never get enough of you,” he said huskily. He plunged his tongue into my mouth and pulled out.

                “No,” I whimpered, wanting him to keep going.

                “Don’t worry, baby,” he assured me. He helped me off the table and turned me around so I was grasping onto the edge. “Hold on,” he whispered before slamming back into me from behind. The angle was perfect and his fingers roughly stroked me right above where we were joined, sending me into a string of the most amazing multiple orgasms I’d ever had. I couldn’t stop coming and Josh refused to let up, encouraging me to keep coming with dirty words and well placed thrusts.

I had lost count when Josh pushed into me hard one last time, calling my name out with his orgasm. He was gripping my hips so hard I knew I would probably bruise, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. He collapsed against my back and I let my chest rest against the dining room table. We were both panting and trying to remember our names as he kissed my shoulder blades softly.

                “That was incredible,” I said, still tensing around him every once in a while.

                “Mmmm I second that,” he responded. Josh slowly pulled out of me and I turned around to face him. Josh kicked his shoes and jeans off all the way and we gathered up our clothes with shaking hands and went into my bedroom. The moment we were inside, we collapsed on the bed, throwing our clothes on the floor and cuddling close.

                “Are we okay?” Josh asked hesitantly a few minutes later.

                I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. “Yeah, we’re okay. I’m sorry I hit you,” I whispered, stroking his cheek.

                Josh smiled. “I deserved it, Olive. I’m so sorry for hurting you today. I was a jerk and I promise I will never do something like that again,” he vowed, kissing my fingertips as they passed over his lips.

                “Good. You definitely made it up to me though with that amazing makeup sex,” I said.

                “Agreed, but let’s try next time to just have the sex and not the fight,” he bargained.

                I giggled, leaning up and kissing him. “Deal.”


	32. Imagine Feeling the Most Unbearable Pain

                “I can’t do it!” I cried out, squeezing Josh’s hand hard.

                He ran his free hand through my sweaty hair, trying to soothe me. “Olive, listen to me,” he said. “You  _can_  do this. I know you can.”

                 _This is never happening again! Josh is getting a vasectomy!_ I groaned, panting wildly as another contraction hit and the midwife counted out loud to see how long it would last. I’d been in labor for about ten hours and each minute was more excruciating than the next. We were having a home water birth since I had an aversion to hospitals and my mother had given birth to me at home as well. The only down side was there was no pain medication.

                “You’re doing wonderful, Olive. Keep breathing and let your body relax. Ride through the pain,” the midwife said.

                “YOU RIDE THROUGH THE FUCKING PAIN!” I shouted. My body felt as if it were going to be torn in two; how did this woman expect me to relax? Once the contraction subsided, I let myself relax and loosened my grip on Josh’s hand. “I’m sorry,” I apologized to the both of them.

                The midwife, Alannah, chuckled. “No need to apologize. This isn’t easy and you’re in a lot of pain,” she brushed me off.

                “Sweetheart, any kind of pain that could be inflicted on me at this moment would definitely pale in comparison to what you’re feeling, so squeeze as hard as you’d like,” Josh said, smiling at me. I burst into tears at them being so nice to me when I had done nothing but scream at them for the past few hours. “Olive, what’s wrong?” Josh asked concerned.

                “She’s all right, Josh. She’s getting close to the transition stage now, so she’s going to be more emotional. Now is when she needs your support the most. A lot of women feel like giving up at this point so make sure you encourage her,” Alannah explained.

                “Should we go to the tub?” he asked.

                “Olive, do you want to move to the water now? It may help you feel better, especially since you’re experiencing back pains,”Alannah said.

                “Okay,” I whispered through my tears. I let them help me out of bed, but we had to stop halfway to the bathroom as my water finally broke, gushing to the floor and causing an even stronger contraction. Josh held me up as I clung onto him, trying to remember my Lamaze breathing techniques. It was so much easier when I was in the class and not in pain!

                “You’re all right, Olive. I’ve got you, just breathe,” Josh comforted me. Once the contraction was over, I groaned when I felt the water all over my legs and feet. No doubt it was all over Josh as well.

                “Sorry,” I mumbled.

                “Olive, this is good! This will speed things up considerably. I wouldn’t be surprised if you gave birth in the next two hours!” Alannah exclaimed excitedly. “Now, let’s get you into the tub and see how much you’re dilated.”

                Josh and Alannah brought me into the bathroom and sat me on the toilet while the tub filled up. Josh kneeled in front of me and let me lean against him as I had three more contractions, each one longer and more painful than the last.

                “It’s almost full, sweetheart. The water is nice and warm so hopefully that helps,” he whispered. Alannah had gone to clean up the mess in the hallway, giving us some alone time.

                “I’m scared,” I admitted.

                “I know. I’m scared, too, but everything is going to be fine. We’ll be holding her before you know it,” he said, kissing my forehead.

                “Will you get in the tub with me?” I asked quietly. Now that I was in his arms, I didn’t want to get out of them.

                “Of course I will. I won’t leave your side,” he replied. When Alannah came back, she turned the water off and the two of them helped me get in. I was just wearing a black tank top that I didn’t care about getting wet, but Josh stripped down to his boxers before climbing in behind me.

                “All right, let’s see how close you are,” Alannah instructed. I grimaced through the uncomfortable exam and she smiled. “Seven centimeters! You should be hitting the transition phase soon and then when that’s over, you’ll be ready to push!”

                “Almost done, baby,” Josh whispered, holding me close. I was leaning against his chest on my left side, resting my head on his right shoulder. The water was nice and helped me relax somewhat. Another contraction came and Josh pressed his hand into my back, giving me counter pressure against the pain to help try and ease it. This contraction lasted about a minute and a half and I could do nothing by cry through the entire thing.

                “Why was it so long?” I asked, trying to stop the sobs ripping through my chest.

                “You’re officially in transition. The contractions are longer, stronger, and there’s only about a thirty second break between them. It’s fifteen minutes of hell and you’re going to want to quit, but you  _will_  get through it,” Alannah answered with conviction.

                Alannah was right; I wanted to quit. “Please, make it stop,” I begged over and over through my uncontrollable sobs. Josh held me tightly and encouraged me constantly while trying to get me to rest during the fifteen to twenty seconds between contractions. Those measly seconds did nothing to help me as the pain came in waves ranging from excruciating to unbearable.

                “You’re doing so well, Olive,” Alannah told me as she bustled around the bathroom, getting everything set up for when I would start pushing. For twenty minutes, I did nothing but cry and cling to Josh as contractions racked through my body, threating to make me sick and pass out. Then, out of nowhere, it was as if I had been granted a reprieve. Three whole minutes had gone by and not one contraction. My sobs quieted to whimpers and my body slumped against Josh.

                “I think it’s over,” Josh commented, kissing the top of my head.

                “Let’s check your dilation,” Alannah said, putting gloves on. “And we’re fully dilated at ten centimeters. Now all you have to do is relax and let your body tell you when to push.”

                “I’m not contracting anymore though,” I said hoarsely. My throat was sore from all the screaming.

                “Some women don’t contract between transition and pushing. You’re one of the lucky ones,” she explained.

                I sighed in relief and let my eyes close, enjoying not being in pain at the moment. “I’m so happy she’s almost here,” I told Josh sleepily.

                “Me too, sweetheart. I hate that you had to be in so much pain to get her here, but I’m excited to finally meet her,” he replied.

                I took a short nap for about ten minutes when I was abruptly awoken with the urge to push. “I need to push!” I exclaimed.

                Alannah jumped into action as I let my body take over; pushing with all my might even though it felt like nothing was happening. “Good job, Olive. That’s it, keep pushing,” Alannah encouraged. When I felt like all the blood vessels in my face were going to explode, I stopped, panting hard.

                “Why isn’t anything happening?” I asked.

                “It is. It just takes time. I know you see in the movies that the baby comes out in two pushes, but it just doesn’t happen that way in real life. Why don’t you try getting into a different position; preferably in a squat so gravity can take over?” Alannah suggested. Josh helped me up and I planted my feet on the floor and squatted, holding onto the side of the tub and keeping my lower half submerged in the warm water. He kneeled at my side, supporting me and watching for our child to enter the world.

                I felt the urge to push again and I didn’t stop myself. Now, I was starting to feel something and it didn’t feel good. I groaned in discomfort, squeezing the side of the tub harder. “It hurts!” I cried out.

                “I can see her head almost poking through. You’re starting to crown. It’s going to burn, but push through it and it will be over before you know it,” Alannah said.

                “She’s almost here, Olive!” Josh said excitedly.

                I nodded and pushed again, feeling the burning sensation start and I let myself scream to try and relieve it. After three pushes, her head still wasn’t out and I was getting frustrated. “She keeps going back!” I cried.

                “A few more good pushes and she won’t,” Alannah told me. I pushed four more times and the burning pain became overwhelming. I screamed even louder as it peaked and finally released like a rubber band snapping back. “Good job, Olive! Her head is out!”

                “I can see her, Olive. She’s got a lot of hair,” Josh told me, a smile in his voice.

                “Josh, do you want to catch her?” Alannah asked. He nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, Olive I need you to pant for me and try not to push no matter how bad you want to while I turn her.”

                Not pushing was almost impossible as my body shook while I held back. Once I got the go ahead, Josh gently supported her head and we both looked down, watching as I pushed with all my might. First the left shoulder popped out, than the right, and finally she slid out into Josh’s hands while I collapsed back and cried. He slowly brought her out of the water and she let out a wail while taking her first breath. Josh held her to my chest and I wrapped my hands around her back.

                “She’s here and she’s beautiful!” I cried. Alannah put a towel around her to keep her warm and sucked out her mouth and nose with a tiny suction that looked like a turkey baster.

                “Our little Eloise,” Josh whispered, stroking her small head. Her cried had quieted to whimpers and I stared at her perfect face.

                “Josh, do you want to cut the cord?” Alannah asked.

                He cut her free and sat back down next to me, kissing my temple. I looked over at him to see that tears were running down his face and he was smiling proudly. “Thank you,” he whispered to me. “Thank you for bringing her into the world.”

                “We both did,” I answered, kissing him. We watched her, completely fascinated for the next few minutes before she had to be weighed and measured and I had to deliver the placenta. Eloise Charlotte Hutcherson was a perfect seven pounds, five ounces and had a healthy set of lungs on her. Alannah helped me clean up and told me that I thankfully didn’t tear while pushing so I didn’t need any stitches.

                “You rest and I’ll clean everything up,” Alannah insisted, helping me back to bed. Josh followed, holding a bundled up Eloise in his arms. I got into bed and he sat on the edge and I just watched him.

                “She’s perfect,” he said to me. “I love her so much.”

                “I know,” I agreed. “She looks a lot like her daddy.”

                Josh smiled. “She’s got mommy’s features as well.”

                “Mostly yours, though.” Eloise yawned widely and snuggled deeper into his arms, no doubt tired after her traumatic journey through the birth canal. I sat up and stared down at her sleeping face before looking up into Josh’s eyes. “I feel like this is a dream,” I admitted.

                “If it is, I hope I never wake up,” Josh replied. He leaned forward and kissed me softly, mindful of the baby between us. “I love you, Olive; more than anything.”

                “I love you, too, Josh,” I replied. We watched our newest addition, our beautiful baby girl; sleep peacefully in her father’s arms. We both knew that being parents wasn’t going to be easy, but we were most definitely up for the challenge.


	33. Imagine Laying Down, Holding Hands, and Watching the Fireworks

                “So it’s kind of like a block party?” I asked, carefully applying my eyeliner to my top lid. I was sitting on the floor in Josh’s bedroom at his parent’s home in Kentucky doing my makeup in his full length mirror.

                “Basically. We live on a court anyway so the only people who drive on the block are the people who live on it,” he said from the bathroom.

                “Unless it’s your stalkers doing a drive by to see if you’re home,” I teased.

                “That’s not even funny,” Josh replied.

                I giggled and finished my makeup as Josh walked out of the bathroom freshly showered wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I was in my tiny bikini so I wouldn’t get makeup all over my navy blue sun dress. I stood up and turned around to face him, watching his eyes trail up and down my body, lingering on my legs and breasts. “Take a picture, it lasts longer,” I said.

                “Can I?” he asked. I looked at him, confused. “Take a picture, I mean. Seriously, Olive, you look mouthwatering. I’d very much like to be able to stare at you like this whenever I’m away from you.”

                I rolled my eyes. “And then when your phone gets hacked and the pictures of me practically naked hit the web, I’ll be just like your ex-girlfriend,” I sarcastically replied, walking over to my suitcase and taking my dress out. I was about to pull it over my head when Josh practically ripped it from my hands, pressing his bulge against my behind.

                “I’m not ready for you to get dressed yet,” he murmured in my ear.

                “Oh?” I asked, my voice trembling with anticipation. My legs were starting to feel weak and my heart was racing.

                “My whole family is here, Olive, and I have the biggest hard-on ever right now; all because of you. You don’t expect me to face them like this, do you?” he purred, placing heated kisses up and down my neck. I whimpered as he lightly bit down and shoved his hand in my bikini bottom, stroking me with precision. “I most certainly can’t let you walk out there all wet like this either.”

                “Fuck, Josh,” I whispered, reaching behind me to grab the back of his head.

                “That’s the idea,” he said. “Turn around.”

                I obeyed and immediately went to work undoing his shorts, pulling them down along with his boxers enough to set him free. I kissed him hard on the lips for a brief moment before dropping to my knees and staring up at him. “Do you want some help?” I asked coyly, stroking his erection slowly. Josh moaned and nodded, never breaking eye contact with me. I leaned forward and enveloped him in my mouth, sucking forcefully.

                “Fuck!” he cried loudly, his hand gripping the desk at his side tightly. I loved seeing Josh lose control like this, knowing that I was the only one who could make him feel that way. I worked him into a frenzy for a few minutes, trying to help him reach his peak and come hard for me. His breathing became heavier, but before he could finish, he pulled away from me. “Enough,” he said gruffly.

                I pouted up at him. “Why’d you stop?”

                He leaned down and picked me up, sitting me on his desk. “I’ve wanted to fuck you on this desk every single time we’ve been here and we never got around to it. No more waiting,” he answered, untying the sides of my bikini bottom, uncovering me for him. He rubbed his erection against me and I gasped, bucking my hips and trying to pull him in. Josh kissed me roughly and slammed into me, swallowing my cry with his mouth. Josh fucked me roughly, making the desk slam against the wall with each thrust.

                His lamp and other possessions went crashing loudly to the floor, but neither of us could find it in ourselves to care. The house could have collapsed around us just as long as Josh didn’t stop. I grabbed his ass, pushing him deeper as I got closer and closer to the edge, begging him to push me over. He complied, slamming his hips against mine repeatedly at the perfect angle to send me straight into orgasm, clutching tightly at his body and burying my face in his neck. Josh moaned my name and let go as well, his thrusting slowing down to a gentle rocking to ease us down. He wrapped his arms around my back, holding me close and kissing my shoulder.

                “That was an unexpected surprise,” I breathed out.

                “That’s what happens when you prance around in that sexy little bikini in front of me,” he said with a laugh.

                “I did not prance around! I walked from your mirror to my suitcase to put clothes on and you attacked me,” I accused.

                Josh pulled back slightly and gave me a sweet kiss. “You could have been walking around here in a snow suit and this still would have happened.”

                I rolled my eyes and kissed him again. “I love you, goofball,” I said affectionately.

                “I love you, too, sweet cheeks,” he replied with a smile.

                I twisted my face. “Sweet cheeks?” I asked.

                He laughed and kissed my nose, gently easing out of me. He pulled his shorts up and re-buttoned them before helping me off the desk onto my wobbly legs. I grabbed my bikini bottoms and quickly tied them back on. Josh had dropped my dress on the floor so I picked it up and pulled it over my head, smoothing it down along my body.

                “Well, we certainly made a mess,” he commented, surveying his desk and the surrounding area. The lamp was completely broken in two pieces, there were pens and pencils scattered all over the floor along with two scripts with his highlighter markings all over them, and there was a crack in the wall from where the desk had been slamming against it. “My mom is totally going to kill me.”

                “Good thing you don’t live here anymore, otherwise she might ground you,” I teased.

                Josh playfully slapped my ass and I squealed. “I’ll have to spackle and paint that up later before she notices. I’ll just tell her your cute, klutzy, butt knocked the lamp over in the dark last night.”

                My eyes widened in shock. “Joshua Ryan! Don’t you dare blame me for that!”

                “I’m only kidding, Olive,” he laughed, wrapping his arms around me. “Nothing we can do about it now; let’s go join my family.”

                I quickly ran a brush through my hair and made sure my makeup wasn’t smudged before we headed upstairs hand in hand and out into the front yard. Josh’s younger male cousins were playing basketball in the driveway as the rest of his family sat out on lawn chairs and patio furniture on the grass, talking and having a few drinks.

                “There you two are! We thought you’d never make it out!” his mom called, waving us over. We walked over to where his mom, aunt, and grandmother were sitting. “What took you so long?”

                “Your son is worse than a girl when it comes to picking out what he should wear,” I lied. Josh looked at me incredulously and I stuck my tongue out at him.

                “Don’t listen to her, she needed to make sure every hair on her head was pin straight,” he retorted, pinching my ass slyly.

                I squeaked and jumped, about to retort when I was cut off by his aunt. “Oh please, you two were totally fucking,” she said, rolling her eyes.

                My eyes widened and his grandmother almost choked on her beverage. “I do not want to hear about anything of that sort!” his mom exclaimed, covering her ears.

                “Michelle, they practically live together back in California and you let them share a room when they come out here to visit. You can’t think they don’t bang each other every chance they get!” she reasoned.

                “Oh, I know they do, but I just don’t want to hear about it!” Michelle replied.

                I was redder than a tomato and I’m pretty sure my blood pressure was fatally high. “Hi, standing right here,” Josh said, pointing at both of us.

                “Olive, sweetheart, why don’t you go make yourself a cocktail. It will help you deal with my daughters a lot better,” his grandmother insisted.

                “I’ll go with you. I’m going to need one as well,” Josh said to me.

                “Josh, you’re underage, sweetie,” his grandmother reminded him, even though you could tell she was kidding.

                “Mom, he’s not going anywhere. He can drink all he wants as long as he doesn’t leave this property or get behind the wheel,” Michelle said.

                “Oh, I know that. I was just pulling his leg,” his grandmother scolded his mom.

                “Yeah, so, let’s go get that drink,” Josh said, steering me inside. We went into the kitchen where the counter was loaded with all types of liquors and mixers. “I think the beer is outside in the coolers so when we go back out I’ll grab one.”

                I nodded and mixed myself a very strong Captain Morgan and Coke. We went back outside and Josh grabbed a PBR out of one of the coolers and we headed over to the grill that had been moved near the garage. His father and grandfather were talking as they grilled up burgers, hotdogs, chicken skewers, and corn on the cob. We chatted with them for a bit and grabbed food, going to sit with his brother and cousins on the curb to eat. The rest of the afternoon was a blast and as the sun set, the pyrotechnics started to come out. Josh smiled at me as I twirled like a little kid with a sparkler, writing my name and his name and a bunch of hearts in the air.

                “You’re too adorable,” he said as I pouted when my sparkler went out.

                “I’m aware of that, but my sparkler went out,” I said sadly.

                Josh laughed and lit another one for me, the smile instantly reappearing on my face. “I could watch you like this all day.”

                “What, dancing with a sparkler?” I asked.

                “Not necessarily; I mean carefree and happy. I feel like when we’re in LA you’re always a little bit stressed and nervous,” he commented.

                I stopped twirling and looked down at him. “I feel like I don’t have to look over my shoulder for a photographer or a crazy fan when I’m here,” I told him honestly.

                Josh looked a little sad and nodded. “I’m sorry you have to deal with that.”

                My eyes widened and I set my dying sparkler down in the street, going over to sit on his lap. “No, Josh, don’t even apologize. I love you and you’re worth everything. I understand that all that comes with being with you and I’m fine with that. As long as I have you by my side, I’m happier than I could ever be,” I explained.

                Josh gave me a small smile and a soft kiss. “I love you, too, Olive. Being with you makes me the happiest man alive.” We kissed for a while until the fireworks started. Josh and I laid back in the grass, staring up at the sky to watch the colorful explosions light up the night. “Our own private firework show earlier was way better,” he whispered teasingly.

                I rolled my eyes and lightly elbowed him in the ribs. “Pervert,” I mumbled.

                He laughed and grasped my hand tightly in his, holding them between us. Our conversation died and we just laid back, hand in hand, watching the fireworks. In that moment, nothing in the world mattered, but us.


	34. Imagine Josh Finding Out That You're Sad

                “Hello, this message is for Olive Fairs. This is Leanne Ryan calling from the Los Angeles Times and I wanted to formally invite you to be a part of our terrific writing team here! Please give me a call back when you get this so we can discuss whether you accept the position, what your salary will be, and when you will start. I look forward to speaking with you!”

                I ended my voicemail and put my phone down, sighing loudly. I had gone for an interview two weeks ago for the journalist position at the Los Angeles Times and now that I had gotten the job, I wasn’t sure if I wanted it. I had been working with Josh for the last six months as his personal assistant and I loved it. Sure, he was also my boyfriend, but having this job was perfect since he traveled so much and I got to go with him. We knew how to separate our work and personal relationship to form a perfect balance.

                Josh knew I had gone on the interview and he was happy for me. This was my dream job. I wanted it more than anything.  _So why am I so unsure about it now?_ I buried my face in my hands and took a deep breath. I had a lot to think about.

                “You all right?” my roommate, Anna, asked, coming into the kitchen.

                “No,” I mumbled.

                She sat down at the table across from me. “What’s wrong?”

                I lifted my head up to look at her. “I just got a call from the LA Times. I interviewed with them two weeks ago and they left a voicemail saying I got the job.”

                “That’s great, Olive!” Anna exclaimed. “So when do you start?”

                “That’s the thing; I don’t know if I’m going to take it,” I whispered.

                “What do you mean? Olive, this is your dream job! Why wouldn’t you take it?” she questioned.

                “Because I really like my job now. I get to see Josh whenever I want and travel the world with him,” I explained.

                “He’ll still be your boyfriend. He lives next door and you’ll see him all the time,” she reasoned.

                I shook my head. “I won’t, Anna. He’ll be off filming or promoting and doing press and I’ll barely see him. I don’t know what to do,” I admitted.

                Anna took a deep breath. “I wish I could tell you what to do, but I can’t. I do know that being a journalist has always been your dream, though. Are you willing to throw away your dream for a guy? I know it’s Josh and you love him more than anything, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

                “I do love him more than anything. I feel like that is more important than any job, but I’m still conflicted because I know I wanted this badly,” I said.

                “You said ‘wanted.’ Do you not want it anymore?” she asked.

                I shrugged. “I don’t know. I do because I want to write, but I don’t because I like where I am now.”

                “Well, whether you take the job or not, I’ll support you. It’s up to you and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty about your choice. It’s okay if your dreams have changed, Olive. You’re getting older, they’re bound to,” she said.

                “I know, I just need to think long and hard about this,” I whispered.

                Anna stood up and gave me a pat on the back. “Like I said, either way, I’ll support you. I’m off to Kyle’s so I’ll see you tomorrow, all right? Call me if you need anything.”

                “Thanks,” I replied. Anna left the house and I went into the living room, going over my options in my head over and over. On one hand, I really wanted the job. I was a writer and I always had been. On the other hand, though, I didn’t want the job. It wasn’t just because Josh was my boyfriend and I got to see him all the time, it was because I genuinely enjoyed what I did. I loved traveling and meeting new people. It was a great experience for me.

                I grabbed the sofa pillow next to me and hugged it close, mulling everything over. I needed to call Leanne back by no later than tomorrow and give her my decision. The hours ticked by and the shadows through the windows grew longer through the room as the sun changed positions. I still couldn’t begin to make a decision and I was getting frustrated. I was about to throw my pillow across the room when there was a knock at the door.

                “Come in!” I called, knowing it was unlocked.

                Josh walked in the door, a playful smile on his face. “Geez, Olive. I could have been anyone! You should have asked who I was first.”

                “I knew it was you. You told me you were coming over at this time,” I said, looking at the clock on the wall seeing it was four.

                “Very true,” he replied, coming over and giving me a kiss. I half-heartedly returned it, still frustrated with my indecision. He pulled back and frowned. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

                “Nothing,” I mumbled, looking down at my fingers.

                “Hey,” Josh said, lifting my chin up so our eyes met. “You look upset.”

                I shrugged, leaning back on the couch. “I’m fine.”

                Josh rolled his eyes. “I hate that word. I know you’re not fine.”

                “Really, Josh. I am,” I insisted. It sounded like complete bullshit even to my own ears.

                “Why won’t you tell me why you’re sad?” he asked.

                “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

                “Really? Well, I guess I’ll just have to get it out of you,” he teased. Without warning, his fingers dug into my ribs, tickling the life out of me. I shrieked and squirmed, laughing hysterically while trying to get away from him.

                “STOP, JOSH!” I yelled, not able to stop laughing.

                We wound up on the floor in my struggle, Josh practically straddling me while constantly tickling my ribs and stomach. “Not until you tell me what’s wrong!” he said triumphantly.

                “Please! I can’t breathe!” I exclaimed.

                Josh didn’t cease, only tickled me harder. He was looking down at me, his smile playful and perfect.  _Would I be able to not see this every single day?_  My laughter immediately turned into sobs as that thought struck me. Josh’s face fell and he stopped tickling me. I rolled over under him, burying my face in my arms and crying into the carpet.

                “Olive? Sweetheart?” he asked worriedly. “Did I hurt you?” He climbed off of me and pulled me off the floor and onto his lap on the couch. “Shh, baby. I’m sorry. I should have stopped,” he whispered, sounding pained.

                I shook my head. “Y-you didn’t h-hurt me,” I hiccupped.

                “Then what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” he asked, slowly rocking me back and forth.

                “Because I don’t want to leave you!” I exclaimed.

                Josh looked at me, confused. “I don’t understand. Why would you leave me?”

                I took a deep breath, trying to calm my hysteria. “I got a call from the LA Times today,” I admitted, wiping my eyes.

                Josh’s arms tightened around me. “What did they say?” he asked.

                “I got the job,” I whispered.

                “That’s incredible! I’m so proud of you!” he exclaimed, happily. I only cried harder. “Baby, what is it? Why are you so upset?”

                “I don’t know if I want it!” I confessed. Josh sighed and held me close, letting me cry myself out while he comforted me. When all of my tears were shed, I looked up at him, my eyes completely swollen and red. “I don’t know what to do.”

                “Olive, I love you so much. If you’re on the fence about this job because of me, then don’t be. I’m behind you one hundred percent if you want to take it. You’re an amazing writer and the LA Times would be lucky to have you,” he said with conviction.

                “I’m not going to lie,” I said hoarsely. “Part of it is about you, but the other part is because I love working with you. We get to travel the world together and I love what I do. I honestly haven’t thought about writing until you told me about the open position at the LA Times. Do you not want me to work with you anymore?” I asked, even though it hurt me to.

                Josh looked at me, incredulously. “Of course I want you to work with me! Olive, I told you about that job because I know you love to write. It’s your passion and I want you to be happy.”

                “Would you be upset if I didn’t take the job?” I wondered.

                “Absolutely not. If you don’t feel comfortable taking it, then don’t. I don’t want to see you torture yourself over it. I just know that being a journalist is your dream,” he said.

                “What if my dreams have changed? What if that’s not my dream anymore?”

                Josh kissed me softly. “Then don’t take it. If you have new dreams, go for those. I love you, Olive, so much. I will stand by your side and help you achieve them no matter what they are. The last thing I will ever do is hold you back. All I ask is that you don’t hold yourself back.”

                I took a deep breath and nodded. “I know my answer,” I said.

                Josh picked up my phone from the coffee table and handed it to me. “Then make the call. If you’re positive in your decision, then do what you have to do.”

                I dialed Leanne’s number and held the phone up to my ear, not taking myself out of Josh’s arms. “Leanne Ryan,” she answered.

                “Hi, Leanne, it’s Olive Fairs,” I responded.

                “Olive! Hi! I’m glad to hear back from you!” she exclaimed.

                “Thank you. I wanted to call and let you know that I’ve thought long and hard about this and I’ve decided not to take the position,” I told her steadily.

                “Oh,” she said, sounding crestfallen. “Are you sure?”

                “Yes. I am actually very happy with my current position and I’m not ready to move on yet. Thank you so much for the opportunity though,” I said politely.

                “All right. It was lovely to have met you, Olive. You’re very talented. If you ever want to do freelance or if you ever want a job here in the future, there will be a position for you,” she said.

                I smiled. “Freelance sounds great. You have my email. Let me know the details.” I was happy that we were reaching a compromise.

                “Absolutely! Good luck with everything and I’m glad to be at least working with you in some form!” she said.

                “Thank you, Leanne. Have a great night.” I hung the phone up and took a deep breath.

                “Do you feel better?” Josh asked.

                I snuggled into his arms. “Much. I’m glad I get to freelance at least. This way I’ll have the best of both worlds.”

                “I’m glad you can, too. Now we can start working on your new dreams,” he said.

                I smiled. “Well, they involve you so we’re already off to a great start.”


	35. Imagine Josh Finding Tumblr

            The little red “1” popped up over the envelope at the top of my Tumblr dashboard, alerting me that I had a new message. I had created an empty blog under a fake name in order to message a girl running a fan fiction blog with all stories about me. A friend of mine had sent me the link saying that I needed to check it out. When I did, I was at first hesitant. Obviously this girl was a great writer, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about reading stories written about me. It didn’t bother me that a lot of my fans wrote fiction about me, I just didn’t want to read it.

            Thankfully I went against my gut and read hers. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. Some of her stories were innocent and simple, but every Thursday, she’d write something sexual and dirty. I thought it would freak me out, reading about myself in some of those situations, but it actually had the opposite effect on me; it completely turned me on. I would sit at my computer, feeling my pants tighten with every word she wrote and picturing myself in her story.

            After the third one I read, I knew I had to message her. I didn’t know much about her except that her name was Olive, she was twenty-five, and she lived in New York City. She had a degree from New York University and worked for a magazine, but I didn’t know which one. I had to create a blog in order to message her, so I did just that, not posting anything on it of course. I sent her a message, telling her that I thought her stories were extremely well written and I couldn’t stop reading them. It was the truth, but I didn’t tell her who I was.

            She replied and was grateful that I liked them. After that, I couldn’t stop messaging her. I completely took on a different identity, telling her my name was “Alex” because it could have been either a boy or a girl’s name. After messaging back and forth awhile, She invited me to talk on Google Chat. Again, I created an entirely fake account just so I could talk to her without finding out who I was.

            I opened my Tumblr messages and saw it was Olive. I smiled, seeing that she was asking if I was going to be on Google Chat today. Instead of answering her, I signed onto the chat and messaged her that way.

             _Me: Hi!_

_Olive: Alex! Hey! How is your day going so far?_

_Me: So far, so good. What about you?_

_Olive: All right. Pretty busy at work._

_Me: Well, it’s Thursday thankfully! Does this mean you will be writing today?_

_Olive: Of course! I always write on Thursdays._

My pants once again tightened at the thought of what she was going to write this week.

             _Me: Can’t wait to read it! Think I can have a sneak peak?_

_Olive: Haha no! It’s a surprise!_

            Olive and I went back and forth, talking about anything and everything. I knew I had to start being a little bit more truthful with her, but I also couldn’t tell her who I was. She was an amazing girl and I loved that even though she wrote stories about me, she wasn’t a crazy stalked and admitted that if she had ever met “Josh” in person, she would probably just high five him and tell him he was a good actor.

             _Olive: I’m twenty-five. I used up all of my crazy screaming fangirl days back in the nineties when I was obsessed with Hanson. I admire Josh for his acting and while I think he’s extremely attractive, I know that he is a normal person. There’s no reason to scream or freak out if I’m ever in the same place as him._

I smiled as I read her confession and typed back that I thought she was an awesome person.

             _Me: Olive, there’s something you should know about me._

_Olive: What? You’re a crazy fifteen-year-old girl?_

_Me: LOL no. I’m a guy._

_Olive: Oh. Really? I’ve never spoken to a male Josh fan before. No wonder you’re so laid back and normal._

_Me: Well, I’m not really a Josh fan. I actually just really like your writing. I’m a straight guy who thinks you’re a great writer. Does that freak you out?_

I bit my lip and shook my leg nervously as I waited for her to respond. It said she had entered text, but hadn’t sent anything.  _I hope I didn’t scare her off!_

_Olive: No, it doesn’t freak me out. I didn’t expect it, but I guess I’m flattered that you’re a straight male and you haven’t gone running for the hills at the fact that I write stories about a nineteen-year-old actor._

_Me: Well that’s a relief! I was a little worried you’d tell me to get lost. I really like talking to you._

_Olive: I really like talking to you, too, Alex._

A week later, I finally mustered up the courage to ask for a picture. She agreed, but only if I sent one in return. I obviously couldn’t send her a picture of myself, so I sent her one of my good friends from back home in Kentucky. She sent me hers and I was definitely happy with what I saw. It had been taken from her Photobooth on her computer. She was sitting on a computer chair, far enough away so that I could see the entire upper half of her body. She had short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a perfect smile. She was wearing a gray sweater around her tiny torso. For a guy that was mostly attracted to brunettes, I had to admit she was beautiful.

             _Me: You’re gorgeous._

_Olive: Why thank you, Alex! You’re not so bad yourself!_

I honestly didn’t care if she found my friend unattractive because he wasn’t me. I just didn’t want her to find him very attractive because for some reason, that would kill me. After that, I reread all of her stories, putting her in the female role and myself in my role. I spent a lot of time relieving myself in the shower to dirty thoughts of her and I in the situations she wrote about in her stories. Olive knew I lived in California and I told her I wished I could meet her.

             _Olive: Well, my boss actually asked me to go out to LA for work in two weeks, so if you want, we could maybe meet? I’ve never met a guy off the Internet, but if we met in a very public place like a Starbucks or something, I’d be okay with that._

Now I was nervous. Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I really wanted to meet this girl. I was attracted to her, both in looks and in personality and she seemed to feel the same way about me, even though I had lied to her about who I really was.  _Do I meet up with her and just say, “Hey, I’m actually Alex?” What would she do?_

_Me: I’d be okay with that too._

I sent it before I could second-guess myself. My palms were sweaty and my heart was pounding out of my chest.  _Am I seriously going to meet up with a girl who writes fan fiction about me on the Internet? I must be out of my mind._

_Olive: Great! Well, I’ll give you my number so we can keep in touch and figure out where to meet._

We exchanged numbers and for the next two weeks, we were not only talking on Google Chat, we were texting. I couldn’t believe this situation had escalated to the point where we were going to meet face to face. She still had no idea she was talking to Josh Hutcherson and I was terrified of her reaction. Before I knew it, meeting day was upon us. There was a Starbucks a few blocks away from my house and after her morning meeting, she was going to meet me there.

            I put on a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and a pair of sunglasses. If I was going to meet her, I was going to be myself. I walked to Starbucks, wanting to get there before her so I could watch her walk in. Luckily, I avoided all paparazzi and I walked into the shop, grabbing a table in the back corner and keeping my sunglasses on, hoping not to be recognized.

            I sent Olive a text to let her know I was there and she sent one back saying she was on her way. I was more nervous than I had ever been in my life; even more nervous than when I threw the first pitch out at the Reds game. My fingers tapped on the tabletop and I could hear my heart beating in my ears as I kept my eyes on the door. Five minutes later, she walked in. She was even more beautiful in person; her hair perfectly wind swept around her gorgeous face. She was petite and I thought of how perfect she would fit in my arms. She bit her lip, letting her blue eyes wander around the store looking for “Alex.”

             _Here goes nothing._ She started to walk back towards me, but still hadn’t seen me. I stood up on shaking legs and made my way towards her. Her back was turned to me as she scanned the front of the shop. “Olive,” I whispered in her ear, before I could stop myself.

            She whipped around, completely startled. I pulled my sunglasses off so she could look at me and her eyes widened like saucers. “J-Josh?” she stuttered out in disbelief. “How do you know my name?” The poor girl looked completely confused and I felt horrible for lying to her.

            “Well, I’m Alex. I mean, obviously I’m Josh, but you know me as Alex,” I admitted.

            She gasped and took a step back. “Is this some sort of sick joke?” she asked.

            I shook my head. “No, it’s not. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you who I really was, but you would have never believed me.”

            “So you just lied to me and sent me a picture of some random guy?” She was getting angry and I was starting to get scared.

            “Um, well, he’s actually a friend from back home. Like I said, there was no way I could have told you who I really was or sent you a picture of myself,” I said.

            “You mean, I’ve been talking to you for months? You’ve been reading my stories?” she asked.

            I nodded. “I have. Someone sent them to me and I just knew I had to message you to tell you how good I think they are. Olive, I meant every single thing I’ve ever said to you. The only things I lied about were my name and of course my picture.”

            “How could you? Do you have any idea how humiliated I am right now? You’re such a fucking prick!” she exclaimed, fire in her eyes. She made an about face and stormed out of the shop.

            I immediately went chasing after her. “Olive! Wait!” I shouted, running to catch up to her.

            She abruptly stopped, turning towards me. “How dare you? I literally give everything about myself away to you and it turns out you were lying to me the whole time? I can’t even process this!” she yelled.

            “I know you’re angry and you have every right to be. I should have told you the truth, but please try to see this from my point of view. You were a girl on the Internet, writing fiction about me, good fiction. I wanted to tell you that I thought you were a great writer, so I created a fake username and did. I never thought it would escalate to what it did. I never thought I’d meet you! The more I talked to you, the more I liked you and wanted to get to know more. That’s why I agreed to meet you; because I really like you, Olive. Tell me if I’m wrong, but I think you like me, too, even though you didn’t know who I really was,” I explained.

            “How am I supposed to trust you? For all I know, everything you’ve ever told me was complete and total bullshit and you only agreed to meet me to embarrass me! Well, you’ve succeeded!” she said, angrily.

            “Olive, that’s not true. Like I said, the only exchanges between us that were untruthful were me giving you a fake name and a fake picture. Everything else was real. That is who I really am. I promise. I didn’t meet up with you for you to feel humiliated because I meant what I said; I love your writing. I’m not freaked out that your stories are about me. It actually turns me on,” I whispered the last part so that only she could hear me.

            Her face turned bright red. “How am I supposed to believe anything you say?” she asked.

            Instead of answering her, I grabbed her face and kissed her, pouring as much passion into it as possible. It was more amazing than I ever thought it would be. I had real feelings for this girl and finally being able to kiss her for real instead of just in my fantasies magnified them. After a minute, I realized we were kissing on the sidewalk on a busy street where anyone could see us. The last thing I wanted was for our first kiss to be splashed across the tabloids.

            “I’m sorry if you didn’t want me to kiss you,” I whispered when I broke away.

            Olive looked dumbfounded. “You were really turned on by my writing?” she asked in a small voice.

            “Of course I was. After you sent me that picture of yourself, I couldn’t help but put us in your stories, especially your Thursday stories.”

            Olive blushed again. “What do you mean ‘us?’ You pictured me as the female character?” she asked, taken aback.

            I nodded. “Well, this ‘Kate’ character of yours is based off of who you are, correct?”

            “Well, yeah,” she answered.

            “So of course I pictured you as her,” I said.

            Olive stared at me for a long moment, probably trying to figure out if what I was saying was true. “This is really weird,” she finally said.

            “I know. Look, let’s go back inside, have coffee, and talk, all right?” I suggested.

            She sighed. “Okay,” she agreed.

            We walked back into Starbucks and I bought us both a coffee. We sat in the back corner where I had originally been and pretty much picked up right where we left off. Talking to her was easy, but I could feel that she was still guarded about me. I didn’t blame her, but I wanted her to know she could trust me.

            “Do you think we could ever go back to normal? You weren’t this nervous talking to me when you thought I was Alex,” I said.

            She rolled her eyes. “Well excuse me! I’m sitting here talking with the guy I write stories about and I’m kind of filled with shame and humiliation over it,” she mumbled.

            “There’s no reason for you to feel that way. I told you what I thought of your writing and I meant it,” I said.

            That seemed to make her feel a little better. We finished our coffee, but didn’t make any move to leave. We sat in that corner for over two hours, talking and laughing especially after Olive loosened up. It was just like our Google Chats and text messages except now it was in person. Conversation flowed easily between us and it was as if we had known each other for years.

            “Well, I should probably head out. I’m sure you have plans,” she said, grabbing her bag.

            “I don’t have plans,” I rushed out. “I mean, I have the whole day free. I was kind of hoping to spend it with you, but if you have somewhere to be, then that’s okay,” I answered, slightly crestfallen.

            “I don’t have anywhere to be,” she whispered.

            I smiled. “Good. Why don’t we get out of here, though? My house is only a few blocks away and I have a bottle of wine and some steaks in the fridge if you’re up for it.”

            “That sounds amazing,” she agreed. We left Starbucks, walking close to each other, but not holding hands. I really wanted to, but I wasn’t sure if there were any photographers around and I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. We got in her rental car and I gave her instructions on how to get to my house and she parked in the driveway behind my car. My roommate was gone for the next few days, so it would be just the two of us tonight.

            “Wow, you weren’t kidding about the couch and the Christmas lights,” she observed.

            “No, ma’am. I most certainly wasn’t,” I said, holding the front door open for her.

            “Thank you,” she said, walking into the house. I closed the door behind us and told her to put her stuff anywhere. She put everything down on the couch and went to admire my Jack Daniel’s pool table. “Very nice,” she commented.

            “You play?” I asked.

            “I haven’t in a long time,” she replied.

            “Later, then.”

            We went into the kitchen and I took the wine and marinating steaks out of the refrigerator.

            “Pinot Grigio,” she commented, holding the bottle up.

            “I remember you told me that’s your favorite,” I said.

            “You remember that?” she asked.

            “I remember everything you’ve ever told me about yourself,” I told her honestly. “Shall we have a glass and take it out back? I’ve got to grill these steaks up.”

            “Sounds good.” I poured us each a glass of wine and led her out back with the steaks. She sat on a stool next to the grill and we chatted while I cooked them. It was hard for me not to burn them as I concentrated on every lick of her lips, every pull she took from her glass, and every movement of her body. She was sexy and she didn’t even realize it.

            “Medium okay?” I asked.

            “Medium is perfect. Just the way I like it.”

            We ate our food and drank the wine on the back porch since it was such a nice afternoon. The sun was starting to set, turning the sky pink and orange.

            “Thank you for dinner. It was delicious,” she said as we brought our plates inside and put them in the dishwasher.

            “It was my pleasure. So, how about that game of pool?” I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

            She giggled and nodded. “I’m going to warn you now, I’m terrible at it and I’ve had a few glasses of wine so I’ll be even more terrible.”

            “A little tipsy, are we?” I teased.

            She nodded. “I am!”

            We went into the living room and each grabbed a cue from the rack. Olive was pretty terrible, but it was fun playing with her. “No! You’re doing it wrong!” I exclaimed, laughing. I stood behind her and leaned over so we were cheek to cheek, my hands on hers and guiding her. “You have to hit it in the right spot,” I murmured, helping her line up the shot.

            “Josh?” she asked quietly, her playful demeanor changing.

            “Mm?”

            “Did you really mean what you said earlier? That my writing… turns you on?” she questioned.

            I swallowed hard and pressed my erection that I’d had all day against her ass. “It’s not just your writing that turns me on, Olive. You turn me on,” I whispered, my lips against the shell of her ear. She turned her head slightly and I pressed my lips against hers, our game completely forgotten. I pulled us up and turned her around so she was facing me, letting our cues drop to the ground. We made out heavily, grasping at each other desperately.

            “I want you so bad,” she panted as I sucked on her neck, trying to pull her shirt off simultaneously.

            “I know, Olive. I’ve wanted you for weeks,” I admitted, finally pulling back enough to remove her shirt and mine. I picked her up and sat her on the pool table. She scooted backwards and I climbed up, following on my knees until I was hovering over her.

            “Take me here, Josh. On your pool table,” she begged.

            “Oh, I plan on it.” I plunged my tongue in her mouth and groped her breasts through her lacy beige bra. She moaned loudly and grinded herself against me. I gasped when I could feel her heat through her jeans. My fingers forcefully unbuttoned and unzipped them, trying to pull them down. “Help me get them off,” I mumbled against her skin. She lifted her hips and I successfully pulled them off, throwing them to the floor. She had removed her bra while I was doing that and was now just lying on my pool table in a flimsy, beige thong. She looked so hot and I only grew harder.

            “Looks like you need some help there as well,” she said seductively, slowly undoing my pants. I sighed in relief when she pulled me free, stroking me with delicious movements.

            “God, you feel so good,” I moaned, kissing her hard once. My hand trailed to her hip and I grasped the top of her thong. “Are you attached to these?” I asked.

            “Not really,” she said.

            With one hard tug, I ripped them from her body.

            “FUCK!” she cried. My fingers immediately delved between her legs and I gasped at how wet she was. Her responsiveness to my touch was incredible to see. She was whimpering and shaking, begging me for more. I pushed first one then two fingers into her and moaned myself. She was tight and I couldn’t wait to put another body part in there.

            “Right there?” I asked, pressing upwards on her g-spot.

            “YES!” she exclaimed, digging her nails into my lower back.

            “I’m going to taste you, and then fuck you,” I whispered, kissing her lips before trailing further down. I paid special attention to her breasts for a while and then moved down to her stomach and hips.

            “Please, Josh,” she whimpered, her fingers in my hair trying to lead my head down.

            I gave her a devilish smile. “You want my mouth on you, sweetheart?” I asked, placing a light kiss right above where my fingers were still inside of her.

            Her hips bucked forward, begging for more. “Yes! Please!”

            “Mmmmmm,” I hummed, pressing my mouth against her, licking and sucking in all the right places. Olive thrashed and grinded against me and I loved every second of it. Her fingers tugged my hair passionately and it only made me want her more. Right when she was about to orgasm, I pulled away, licking her sweet taste off my lips and fingers while she whimpered in protest. “I want to fuck you so bad, Olive. Can I?” I asked, kicking my pants and boxers off while moving upwards so we were face to face.

            “Uh huh,” she nodded, rubbing herself against me.

            I moaned and pressed myself against her, trying hard to keep myself in check. “Are we safe?” I asked.

            “On the pill,” she said.

            “Good,” was my response and I pressed forward, gasping at the feel of her enveloping every inch of me. She was wet and tight, squeezing around me the deeper I went. “You feel so fucking incredible, Olive. Never want to stop,” I mumbled against her lips. I started out thrusting slowly, letting her get used to me. Her hands grabbed my ass and pushed me deeper and harder into her.

            “Josh! Yes!” she cried. I picked up my pace, slamming my hips against hers. Both of us were moaning loudly, the legs of the pool table slightly scraping the hardwood floor with the force of my thrusts. I could tell she was getting close and I knew I wasn’t going to last much longer either. My fingers snaked between us and I rubbed her where my mouth had been earlier.

            “Come, Olive. I want to feel you,” I whispered.

            Her back arched and she let go, her muscles clenching around me and her whole body shaking with the force of her orgasm. “JOSH!” she cried my name and I lost it, moaning her name into her neck as I came harder than I’d ever had. I collapsed against her once my orgasm had rung me dry. Both of us were sweating and panting, clinging to each other in our after glow. When I felt the feeling go back into my limbs, I slowly pulled out and laid down on my side next to her, my arm wrapped around her body.

            “That was incredible,” she said, kissing my chest.

            I ran my fingers through her hair and nodded. “Definitely the best I’ve ever had,” I agreed.

            She nodded. “I’ve never felt like that with anyone else.”

            “Neither have I.”

            We laid there on the pool table, catching our breath for the next few minutes. “You’re amazing, Olive. Seriously, you have no idea how happy I am that I messaged you all those months ago.”

            “I know. I feel the same way. Even though I thought you were Alex, I’m glad you’re you,” she said. I kissed her softly.

            “I want to keep seeing you. I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. I don’t care if I have to come out to New York or fly you out here all the time. You’re worth it,” I told her seriously.

            “I agree. We’ll figure it out.”

            We sat up slowly, stretching our muscles. “Know what tomorrow is?” I asked.

            “What?”

            “Thursday. I want you to write about this, Olive. Write about me fucking you on my pool table. Only we’ll know it’s true, but I want to see it written down. I want the world to know that this happened whether they believe it or not,” I insisted.

            Olive smiled. “Oh I will. It’ll be the best story I’ve ever written.”

            “Good. Now, some of those other Imagines were pretty sexy. How about we make a few come true?” I kissed her and pulled her on top of me. Thank God for Olive and her dirty fiction. It was the best thing that had ever happened to me.


	36. Imagine You and Your Boyfriend Get Into a Huge Fight

                “Chris, seriously, I’ll just drive myself,” I insisted.

                “I’m already two minutes away from you. I’ll just pick you up. It’s not a big deal,” he responded. “Besides, it’s the weekend so it doesn’t matter what time I drop you back off tomorrow. Actually I was kind of hoping we could spend the whole thing together.”

                I sighed. Chris and I had been dating for about five months. At first, I really liked him, but as I spent more and more time with him, I realized we weren’t really compatible. He also was not fond of the fact that my best friend was a male. Josh and I had met when I moved out to California two years prior. We had hit it off and became fast friends. He was easy to talk to and we always had a blast together. I was a writer and Josh was an actor. Even though he was away a lot filming or on press tours, not a day went by that we didn’t talk. I’d even gone with him on his tours and to visit his movie sets.

                “I actually have plans with Josh tomorrow night,” I whispered.

                Chris scoffed. “Well can’t you cancel them? I mean, I am your boyfriend and you see Josh all the time.”

                The last thing I wanted to do was cancel my plans with Josh. Not only was Chris not a fan of him, but Josh loathed Chris more than anything. I never understood why since they had only met a handful of times and Chris was completely civil. Then things changed last night when Josh was over watching Anchorman. We were sitting together on the couch, laughing like we always do when Josh leaned over and kissed me out of nowhere. The feelings and emotions coursing through my body were like none I had ever experienced.

                Kissing Josh felt natural, like I should be doing it for the rest of my life. When he pulled away, he told me he wasn’t going to apologize. My only response was to kiss him again, this time harder. One thing led to another and before long, we were making love on my couch, unable to get enough of each other. It was better than I could have ever imagined and no one had ever made me feel the way he had. It was like everything was finally in its place.

                “I love you, Olive,” he whispered to me afterwards. “I mean that with all my heart. I love you and I want you. You’re my best friend this just feels so right. I don’t want to pretend anymore that I’m okay with us just being friends. I want you in every sense of the word.”

                “I know,” I agreed. “It’s not fair to either of us to ignore it anymore.” There had always been strong feelings between the two of us, but we had just never acted on them until it all boiled over. Now, I needed to end things with Chris. When I had reluctantly agreed to let Chris pick me up, I sent Josh a text to let him know that I was going to need a ride later. He sent an affirmative that he would be there to get me.

                Chris pulled up to my place and I walked out to the car and got in. “Hey, sweetheart,” he greeted, leaning over to plant a kiss on my lips. He didn’t notice that I didn’t kiss him back. “No overnight bag?”

                I shook my head. “No,” I whispered.

                He chuckled. “Oh, I see, we plan on being naked all weekend?” he asked.

                A shiver of revulsion ran through my body.  _Yeah, I plan to be, just not with you._  The drive to his house seemed to take forever as he droned on about his day at work and how everyone was terrible at their job and he seemed to be the only one who knew what he was doing. I would hum in agreement whenever he paused, even though I wasn’t even listening. When we pulled up to his house, I walked behind him, trying to figure out the best way to start this unpleasant conversation. Once the door was closed behind us, he had me immediately pressed up against it, laying wet kisses along my neck.

                “Chris, stop,” I said, pushing on his shoulders.

                He pulled his head back. “What do you mean? I thought you wanted a nice, long naked weekend with me.”

                I sighed and pushed him back again so I could move away from him. “No, Chris, I don’t.”

                “Why not? You have your period or something?” he asked uncomfortably.

                “No, it’s not that. I don’t want to have sex,” I said.  _With you._

                Chris huffed, pulling his tie off. “You never want to have sex, Olive. Ever. Every time I try to initiate, you always pull back. I think we’ve had sex twice in all the time we’ve been together and it wasn’t all that great. You pretty much just laid there like a dead fish. At first, I let it go thinking maybe you were just inexperienced. Now I see you’re nothing but a frigid bitch,” he spat and I flinched. “I thought this weekend I could loosen you up and actually make you want me. Now here we go again with this crap.”

                “I just don’t want to have sex,” I said pathetically.

                “Bullshit! There is NO WAY you never want it! You’re obviously getting it from somewhere, just not from me apparently!” he shouted.

                I cringed and looked down at my hands. “Chris,” I whispered.

                He took a step towards me and I met his eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Olive. You’re fucking Josh, aren’t you? You’ve fucked him! DON’T LIE TO ME!” he yelled, cornering me against the wall and placing his hands by my head so I was trapped.

                I tried to answer him, but all I could do was stutter. “Jesus Christ! All this time I just thought you were some prude, now I know you’re a massive slut, screwing your best friend behind my back!” He was enraged and I didn’t blame him. I cheated on him and he had every right to be angry with me.

                “It only happened once,” I tried to explain. “Chris, you’re a great guy, but we’re just not working out. There’s always been something between Josh and I, it’s just taken us awhile to figure it out and I’m so sorry that I hurt you. I honestly didn’t mean it. I want you to be happy and I’m sorry that I’m not the person who can make you.”

                “Oh, you’re sorry? You’re sorry for fucking Josh behind my back, but you’re not sorry for not fucking me?” he asked. Before I could respond, he had slammed me against the wall and was pressed up against me. “Sorry isn’t good enough, Olive.” He roughly shoved his tongue in my mouth and I screamed in surprise, trying to fight him off. His hands went to the top of my jeans and he started to undo them.

                “STOP!” I cried when his mouth left mine. I was fighting hard to escape, but he was a lot bigger and stronger than I was. He threw me down on the floor, still pulling at my pants and his simultaneously while I screamed at the top of my lungs, begging him to stop.

                “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” he roared, slapping me hard across the face. “If you can give it all to Josh, then you can give it to me!”

                My face was stinging and I could feel my eye starting to swell, but I brought my knee up between us and hit him in his groin as hard as I could. He cried out and I pushed him off of me. I scrambled to my feet and he was writhing around on the floor in pain. “You bitch! You fucking bitch!” he shouted at me. I quickly redid my jeans, grabbed my bag, and bolted out the front door before he could chase after me. I ran about 10 blocks before my lungs felt like they were about to burst and I slowed to a walk. Tears were streaming down my face and I couldn’t stop shaking. I pulled my phone out and dialed Josh with great difficulty.

                “Hi, Sweetheart,” he answered.

                “P-please come get m-me,” I sobbed into the receiver.

                “Olive?! What’s wrong?!” he asked frantically.

                “He got so m-mad! He h-hit me and… and…” I trailed off.

                “HE FUCKING HIT YOU?!” he shouted. “Where are you?”

                “I’m walking now,” I replied, taking a deep breath to stop my sobbing and stuttering. “I’m on the corner of Bel Aire Drive and Irving Avenue.”

                “Stay in the area, Olive, but keep walking. I’m coming to get you now,” he said.

                “Okay,” I whispered and hung up. For the next twenty minutes I walked up and down Irving Avenue, not wanting to go any further. My face was hurting and I was exhausted. Eventually, a car pulled onto the street and slowed down next to me. At first, a jolt of fear went through me as I thought it was Chris since I couldn’t see through the window. The door opened and Josh stepped out, looking incredibly angry and relieved at the same time.

                “Jesus Christ, Olive,” he said, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I cried into his chest and he rubbed his hand up and down my back soothingly. When I could breathe normally again, I pulled back and he held my face, wincing at what I was sure was a horrible welt. “No one will ever hurt you again,” he told me with conviction. He kissed me gently and led me around to the passenger side of his car. He helped me in and ran around to the other side. He went to shut the door and I grabbed his right hand, seeing his knuckles were swollen and bruising.

                “What happened?” I asked, concerned.

                “Before I came to get you, I stopped by your asshole ex-boyfriend’s house,” he spat.

                “You didn’t,” I said.

                “Of course I did! He hit you, Olive. I just walked right in and he was icing his junk. I’m guessing you gave him a nice hard knee or kick?” I nodded. “He started to shout at me, but I didn’t say anything. I just waltzed on over and punched him as hard as I could in the face. I’m pretty sure I shattered his cheek bone.”

                “Good. I hope you did,” I said, kissing his knuckles lightly so I wouldn’t hurt him. “After what he did to me, a broken cheek bone would be him getting off easy.”

                Josh tensed. “What do you mean? What else did he do to you?” he asked, turning on to San Fernando Road.

                “He was not happy when he heard I’d slept with you,” I whispered. “I’ve only slept with him twice the entire time we’ve been together.”

                “Twice?” Josh asked, as if he didn’t hear me. “Not that I’m complaining, but why?”

                “Because every time he would initiate, I would think of you and I wouldn’t be able to go through with it. The times I did sleep with him was because I was drunk,” I admitted.

                “Wow,” Josh whispered. “I’m glad you thought of me, because you’re all I think about.”

                I smiled slightly and rested my head on his shoulder. “Anyway, he was furious and he said ‘if you can give yourself to Josh, you can give yourself to me.’ The next thing I know he’s trying to pull my pants off and his off and I just kneed him in balls as hard as I could and ran. I was so scared.”

                Josh pulled over and slammed his foot on the break, throwing the car into park. He turned to face me, looking furious. “Are you telling me he tried to force himself on you?” he asked, trying not to raise his voice.

                “He tried, and he failed. Seriously, Josh, you probably broke his face and I probably eliminated his chances of ever having kids, so it’s okay. He barely got my pants undone. I promise,” I said, trying to calm him down.

                “That’s not the point, Olive! He could have… you could have been…” he couldn’t even finish his sentence he was so upset.

                “But I wasn’t,” I whispered. “I’m fine.”

                “You’re not fucking fine, Olive!” he shouted, making me jump. “You went to break up with a guy, got hit hard in the face, and he almost raped you. Don’t you even dare try and tell me you’re fine!”

                “Josh, please calm down. I’m a lot stronger than you think. Obviously, I’m a bit shaken up about the whole thing, but I’m honestly okay. I’m with you and I know you’ll never hurt me the way he did. I know you’ll take care of me and that’s all that matters,” I said soothingly.

                “Don’t, Olive. Don’t try and comfort me about this. You’re the one who got hurt. It’s my job to comfort you and make sure you’re all right. I’m going to be upset and miserable about this because I never want to see you hurt like this. I know you’re strong, but you don’t always have to be. I can be strong for you when you can’t. Remember that,” he whispered, seeming to have calmed down a bit. He leaned forward and kissed me softly. “I love you.”

                “I love you, too,” I replied. Josh took us back to his house and took care of me the rest of the night. He iced my face on and off until the swelling went down and then made love to me when I insisted I was all right.

                “I’m not afraid, Josh. I want you,” I whispered to him. It was even better than the night before and made me feel closer to him than ever. As long as I had Josh, I would always be strong.


	37. Imagine Waking Up Next To Josh

                The early morning sun streaming in through the curtains awoke me from my peaceful sleep. I blinked a few times and looked around. I was in Josh’s bed, naked, and my face felt like it had gotten hit with a sledgehammer. I groaned and stretched, turning over so I was facing Josh. He was wide awake and gave me a small smile.

                “Good morning, beautiful,” he said, pulling me close. He gave me a gentle kiss on my lips before giving me another one on my forehead.

                “Good morning,” I whispered.

                Josh pulled back to look at me and frowned. “You’re all black and blue,” he told me, gently running his fingers over my cheek.

                I winced slightly and sighed. “Feel like I got the crap kicked out of me,” I admitted.

                Josh tensed. “You did,” he said through gritted teeth.

                I pressed a kiss to his shoulder and ran my fingers through his hair, encouraging him to bury his face in my neck. I didn’t want to see him upset and angry again about what had happened last night. “I didn’t,” I whispered. “I was hit, once.”

                “Should have been none,” was his muffled reply. I chose not to respond, just lay there and scratch his scalp. His arms were wrapped tightly around me, his hands softly running up and down my spine. “I’m not going to let this go, Olive. It’s a big deal, no matter how much you try and down play it.”

                “I’m not trying to down play it, Josh. I just don’t want to talk about it anymore. We can’t change what happened,” I told him.

                Josh pulled back, looking pained. “Okay, Olive, we don’t have to talk about it right now, but we have to eventually.”

                “All right,” I answered. Josh and I cuddled for a little while longer before deciding to get up and have some breakfast.

                “How about I make pancakes?” I suggested, pulling on one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers.

                “Or, I can make French toast while you sit there and look sexy for me.” He wiggled his eye brows and planted a kiss on my nose.

                “Sitting there looking sexy is way easier than cooking. French toast it is!” I exclaimed.

                Josh laughed and gave me a piggy back ride into the kitchen. Andre was sitting at the island in the middle, eating a bowl of cereal and typing on his laptop. “Were you two fucking last night or something? Because I could have sworn I heard moaning and… WHOA, Olive! What the hell happened to your face?” he asked.

                “Well, to answer your first question; yes, we were and it was fantastic. I apologize that you had to hear it,” I replied.

                “As for your second question, her ex-boyfriend decided to use her as a punching bag when she broke up with him last night,” Josh growled.

                “Are you kidding me? He hit you?” Andre inquired.

                “He hit me once and I kneed him in the balls as hard as I could for it,” I said.

                “And then I punched him in the face. I hope I broke something,” Josh grumbled, taking out the ingredients for his French toast.

                “What a piece of shit. So you broke up with him and he physically hurt you because of it? There’s a special place in hell for people like him,” Andre said,

                “He was not happy when I told him I cheated on him with Josh,” I explained.

                “Wait, you were serious about you two sleeping together?” Andre asked in shock.

                “Yeah, it happened a couple of nights ago the first time,” Josh answered.

                “Jesus, finally. Took you both long enough to come to terms with the fact that you want each other.”

                “Yeah, we know. So I broke up with Chris and now Josh and I are what we always should have been.” I walked over to the kitchen table where my phone had been charging all night while Josh started making our breakfast. “Holy crap; thirty-four missed called and twenty-seven voicemails; all from Chris.”

                “Put them on speaker phone,” Josh said.

                I pressed play and Chris’s screaming rang throughout the kitchen. Twenty-six voicemails of yelling and carrying on, filled with threats and curses. Finally, the twenty-seventh voicemail was upon us.

                “My left testicle went back up into my body because of your knee and my cheek bone is completely shattered because of that piece of shit you fucking cheated on me with. I will be sending you both the bill, you fucking slut. Don’t even try to fight me on this or my lawyer will drill you both into the ground where you belong,” he seethed before hanging up.

                Andre almost fell off his stool from laughing so hard and Josh was bent over in hysterics. “Oh man! If he thinks I’m paying for his medical bills, he has another thing coming! Let him try to sue me! I’m pretty sure assault and battery, along with attempted rape are a way worse crime!” Josh exclaimed.

                “We should have our lawyers send him a letter saying that unless he wants me to press charges against him, he better pay his own medical bills. I can’t believe my knee sent his ball back up into his body. That is the greatest news I’ve heard today,” I smiled.

                “Are you kidding me, Olive? Have you seen your knees? They are the boniest things in the world!” Andre commented.

                I stuck my tongue out at him and sat next to him at the island. “We should take a picture of your face just in case, sweetheart. I want proof that he hurt you just in case he tries to bring his lawyer into this,” Josh suggested.

                I shrugged. “I guess that’s a good idea.”

                “All right, lovebirds. I have a meeting to get to in Studio City so I am out of here. No sex on my bed,” Andre said, putting his bowl in the dishwasher and closing his laptop.

                “A meeting on a Saturday?” I asked.

                “It’s not a business meeting,” he replied with a wink.

                “Go get ‘em, Tiger,” Josh said, giving the thumbs up.

                Andre laughed and walked out of the kitchen and out the front door. Josh and I were now alone. He plated to slices of French toast in front of me with some strawberries, butter, and syrup. “Thank you,” I whispered, leaning over the island to kiss him.

                “You know, since Andre was here, you couldn’t be all sexy for me,” he said with a pout.

                I rolled my eyes. “Oh, do you still want me to?” I asked.

                He nodded, putting his plate next to mine. “Can I make a request?”

                “Sure,” I said, taking a bite of the sweet, cinnamon bread.

                “I want you to eat naked,” he whispered as he came around to the side of the island I was on.

                “Oh? And will you be naked as well?” I questioned.

                “Well, I will eventually,” he winked.

                I giggled and stood up momentarily to quickly shed the only two articles of clothing I was wearing. For the next fifteen minutes. Josh’s plate pretty much remained untouched as he was just constantly staring at me. I was starving, so I continued to eat my breakfast.

                “What’s wrong, Josh? Not hungry?” I asked.

                “Not for this,” he replied, motioning to his French toast.

                “Then what are you hungry for? Do you want me to make you something else?” I teased, licking a bit of syrup off of my lips.

                Josh groaned. “I have plans for us today so we don’t have time for the breakfast I’m in the mood for.”

                I giggled and brought my empty plate to the dishwasher. “Come on, your food is probably almost cold so eat it and we can go. I’m going to jump in the shower.” I walked back to Josh’s room and into his bathroom. I cringed when I looked in the mirror for the first time. The left side of my face was a gross purple color and I hoped my makeup would be able to cover it up.

                I took a quick shower and got ready for the day, wondering what Josh had planned. He came moping into the room with a massive erection pointing straight at me. “Look what you did,” he pouted.

                “Me? You’re the one who told me to eat breakfast naked!” I exclaimed, applying concealer to the bruise on my cheek.

                “Remind me to do that again, but only if we have time to get some sex in there before we have something to do,” he said. Josh showered quickly and before long, we were on our way out the door. He wouldn’t tell me where we were going, just that it was going to be very relaxing.

                “Did you get a pot dealer or something?” I wondered.

                Josh laughed. “Not that type of relaxing!”

                Josh drove us through West Hollywood and finally pulled up in front of Voda Spa on Santa Monica Boulevard. “We’re going to the spa?” I asked.

                “I bought us a Couples Retreat Massage earlier yesterday. I knew last night would be stressful, even though it turned out way worse, and I figured a nice massage would be perfect for us to unwind with,” he explained.

                I leaned over the center console and kissed him deeply. “Thank you,” I whispered.

                “We have eighty minutes of a Hot Stone Massage followed by a nice lunch in their café,” he told me. I smiled and held his hand as we walked into the Spa and were shown to our massage room. Both of us stripped down and laid on the tables, side by side. They were less than a foot apart from each other so we could easily hold hands and look at each other. Two Russian women gave us the best Hot Stone Massages we’d ever had, completely melting our stress and worries away.

                “That was exactly what I needed. Thank you so much, Josh. I love you,” I said while we ate lunch at the café.

                He kissed my hand that was in his and smiled. “You’re very welcome, sweetheart. I love you, too, and I want to take care of you.”

                “If making incredible love to me all night long, cooking me French toast for breakfast, treating me to an incredible massage, and loving me unconditionally no matter what is you taking care of me, then I am most certainly in it for the long haul,” I smiled. “I promise to always take care of you as well.”

                “You already do, Olive. Just keep being yourself, that’s all I ask for.”


	38. Imagine If This is All Really Happening

                I scrolled down through my messages and asks, reading each one.

                “What do the people of Tumblr say today?” Josh murmured from behind me, running his fingertips up my spine.

                I smiled and closed my eyes, relishing the feeling. “Well, they’re telling me that they love my stories and they can’t wait for this Thursday’s story. If they only knew the one they’re going to get is about us screwing on your pool table,” I answered.

                “If they only knew it was a true story,” he whispered, his lips caressing the shell of my ear. I was currently lying on my stomach on Josh’s bed, completely naked except for the sheet around my waist. Josh was sitting on the edge in just his boxer briefs, leaning over my back to read my Tumblr messages from my readers.

                “I don’t know how they’ll respond to it. They might start asking questions. I’ll have to give very open ended answers and play coy, just to keep them guessing,” I said.

                “Good. It turns me on to think that people will be reading about me fucking you on my pool table and they won’t be able to figure out if it’s real or not.”

                I smiled and replied to one of the messages, not giving anything away to the person. They would have no idea Josh was currently planting kisses on my shoulder blades and pulling the sheet away from my body.

                “It’s Thursday today, you know,” he said thoughtfully.

                “Mmm,” I hummed in agreement. I was leaving Los Angeles to go back to New York tomorrow and I really was not looking forward to it. I was sad about leaving Josh behind, but he would be coming to see me in a week since he had to go to Washington D.C. anyway for the White House Correspondents Dinner.

                “Shall I give you some more inspiration to write about?” he asked, now trailing his hand up my inner thigh.

                “If you wouldn’t mind,” I said breathlessly, spreading my legs further apart.

                Josh chuckled. “Always so eager. I love it.” His thumb brushed lightly against my most sensitive area and I sucked in a breath, letting my head fall to the mattress. “Keep typing, Olive,” he instructed. For the next ten minutes, I tediously answered my messages while Josh’s fingers explored me, making my toes curl and causing spelling errors that I had to keep going back to fix.

                “Josh, please stop teasing me,” I begged when I was finally done answering them all.

                “But I like teasing you,” he said, slowly slipping one finger into me. My fingers fisted the sheets and I moaned loudly. “Seems like you like it when I tease you, too. You’re so wet for me.”

                “More!” I exclaimed, pushing myself down onto his probing finger.

                Instead of giving me more, he pulled his finger out and I whimpered at the loss. I turned around so I was on my back and watched as he sucked it clean, never breaking eye contact with me. “Delicious,” he whispered. My hips lifted off the mattress as I tried to suppress the ache between my legs. “I love seeing you all worked up like this. It makes me want you even more, if that’s possible.”

                I reached my hand over and stroked his erection through his boxers, trying to get him on the same page as I was. I wanted nothing more than for him to hold me down and fuck me senseless until I was orgasming with every thrust, screaming loud enough for his neighbors to hear. “Feels like you want me too, Mr. Hutcherson,” I said huskily.

                Josh’s breathing became deeper and heavier as I stroked him. He eventually became fed up and pulled his boxers down quickly so he could feel my hand on his bare flesh. “So good, Olive.”

                “Do you want my mouth or my hand, Josh?” I asked, giving him my most innocent look.

                Josh groaned, pushing his finger roughly back into me. I cried out and sped up the movement of my hand. “Fuck, Olive. I want this. I want to be inside you.”

                “You will,” I panted. “But I’m not ready for the main event yet.”

                “Your mouth. I want your mouth on me,” he begged. I took my hand off of him and he moved up so he was kneeling by my head, his hand still between my legs teasing me. Without warning, I took him in, running my tongue along the length of him, extracting a deep moan from his chest. “Mmmmm I love your mouth. You always know exactly what to do to make me feel good.”

                I hummed against him and he gasped, running his fingers through my hair. His fingers were still playing with me, working me into a frenzy which made me even more enthusiastic.

                “Fuck, baby, I need you,” he whispered. He slowly pulled out of my mouth and I pouted up at him. “Don’t worry, sweet girl.” He moved me so I was laying on my side and then he did the same so his erection was in my face and my hips were in his. “Much better,” he said, pulling my legs apart and pressing his tongue against me.

                “FUCK!” I cried out, grinding myself against his mouth. I immediately pulled him back into my mouth and we went to town on each other for a while, moaning and sucking and licking. It was intense and I could barely hold myself together throughout it all. Giving and receiving at the same time was better than I could have ever imagined.

                “Olive,” he whispered against my wet flesh. “I need to be inside you, baby.”

                I let him out of my mouth and he moved so he was now lying over me and I was still on my side. “I’m going to drive you fucking crazy in this position,” he promised.

                “Please,” I begged, my body shaking with anticipation.

                He pushed both of my legs up so they were closer to my chest. He positioned himself on his knees and held onto my hip and thigh, angling himself and pushing in with one smooth thrust. “JOSH!” I cried out. The angle was like nothing I’d ever experienced. He was hitting all the right places with ease and I was turning into a rambling mess on the bed.

                “Fuck, Olive. So tight around me, baby. Never want to stop, ever,” he groaned, picking up the pace and gently rubbing me between my legs.

                I was practically sobbing with pleasure, squeezing tightly around him every time he would drive me over the edge into orgasm.  _Josh wasn’t kidding about driving me crazy in this position._ He was so deep, I couldn’t tell where I ended and he began. The best part was that he could still lean over and kiss me.

                “Never felt this good,” I murmured against his lips, my hands wandering from his hair to his shoulders as he pounded into me.

                “Only you, Olive. No one else comes close to you,” he whispered back. We came together, groaning each other’s names with our lips still pressed together. Josh collapsed behind me and wrapped his arms around me so we were spooning. He was still buried deep inside of me and I almost never wanted him to pull out.

                “I don’t want to leave,” I whispered when my heart rate returned to normal and Josh had to unfortunately remove himself from me.

                “Trust me, I don’t want you to leave, either. This week went by too quick and I hate that I won’t see you for a week,” he said sadly.

                “What are we going to do next Thursday? You’ll be in Vegas,” I reminded him.

                Josh leaned up on his elbow and I turned around so that I was facing him. “You should come out and come to the awards with me,” he suggested. “I wish you were.”

                “I know, I wish, too. Well, I will be seeing you next Thursday, but it will just be on the big screen,” I said.

                Josh smiled slightly. “Oh yes, you’re going to see Detention.”

                I nodded. “I most certainly am. I just wish I could see you in person and not have to wait until Sunday.”

                “I know. Maybe we could have a little phone or Skype session?” he asked hopefully.

                My eyes glinted mischievously. “Sounds kinky, Mr. Hutcherson.”

                “Let’s see, I’ve fucked you on my pool table, under a blanket on the couch on my front porch where anyone could see us, on my kitchen counter, and on my washing machine. I’m obviously a little bit kinky,” he replied.

                I giggled and kissed him softly. “A Skype or phone session sounds good to me. It won’t be the same since you won’t be the one touching me, but since I’ll hear your voice, it’ll be amazing.”

                “Hmmm sounds like I’ve turned you a little bit kinky,” he teased.

                “You have. I may be twenty-five, but I haven’t even done half the things I did with you this week,” I admitted.

                “Well, I’m glad I could be some of your firsts,” he whispered.

                We laid in bed, kissing and talking for the next hour as the sun began to set and the room grew dark. “We should get some dinner,” I sighed.

                “Let’s order in. I want to be alone with you on our last night together for a week,” he whispered. Josh and I got out of bed, threw on whatever clothes we could find on the floor and went into the kitchen to order out Japanese.

                “Don’t forget, you have your story to write,” he reminded me.

                “Yes! Want to watch me write it?” I asked.

                “Of course I do. I want to see how you interpret the naughty things we do. Hell, I might have to do naughty things to you while you write it,” he said.

                “Oh? That should make for some interesting spelling mistakes,” I said.

                “Seriously, Olive. I want to see your interpretation about our little pool table experience. I wish you would have written it last week.”

                “Well, I already had an Imagine picked out. Besides, I think the incredible sex we just had will be next week’s story,” I smiled.

                “Hmmm… so you’re posting our little sexcapades a week after they happen?” he wondered.

                “Of course, I have to keep my readers guessing,” I responded.

                “My dirty girl. You’re amazing,” he said.

                “So are you, Josh. Now, let’s start writing, shall we?”


	39. Imagine Josh Saying, "There's Only One Thing I'd Change About You."

                “I just don’t understand why you have to get married in Italy,” my aunt said to me for the millionth time.

                I sighed and scrubbed my hand over my face. “Look, this is what Josh and I want. It’s our wedding. What I don’t understand is why you’re complaining about it. We’re paying for everything; all you have to do is show up.”

                “It has nothing to do with money, Olive. People are going to have to take off of work for this. Why can’t you get married somewhere closer to home?” she asked.

                “You’re a teacher! We’re getting married in July which means you’ll already be on vacation! Why are you being so difficult? If it’s that big of a hassle for you, then please do us a favor and don’t come,” I spat, hanging up on her.

                I put my phone down on the table and buried my face in my hands, trying to stop the stinging tears in my eyes. Who knew planning a wedding would be so difficult? It wasn’t like we were having this huge, lavish affair. It was just us and our close friends and families. The difficult part was the location since we had decided to get married in Capri, Italy. Everything had pretty much been planned over the phone and Josh and I wouldn’t see anything until we got there for our wedding.

                “You okay, sweetheart?” Josh asked, placing his hands on my shoulders and massaging the tense muscles.

                “No. My aunt is driving me absolutely crazy!” I exclaimed.

                “Do you want me to call her and talk to her?”

                I shook my head. “No. I pretty much just told her not to come if she’s going to bitch about everything.”

                Josh stopped rubbing my shoulder and pulled out the chair next to me. He sat down and pulled my hands away from my face so he could look at me. “Olive, I’m serious. Planning this wedding is already stressful enough; I don’t need her adding to it. You’re already hardly sleeping through the night and it’s only February. We’re getting married in five months and I don’t want to see you crash and burn in that time.”

                “I don’t think I’ll crash and burn, I might just go on a killing spree. Obviously, she’ll be at the top of the list,” I said bitterly.

                Josh leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “How about we forget about this wedding stuff for the rest of the night, hm?” he suggested. “Let’s open up a bottle of wine, maybe get in the Jacuzzi, and relax.”

                “I can’t Josh. There’s still so much to do!” I exclaimed, gesturing to all of our wedding preparations scattered across the kitchen table.

                “It will all be there in the morning, Olive. I promise. Let’s just relax and have a night to ourselves without worrying about place settings or flowers,” he said.

                I shook my head. “Josh, this needs to get done. We didn’t hire a wedding planner because we wanted this wedding to reflect us. This isn’t going to plan itself.”

                Josh sighed and stood up. “Olive, I love you more than anything, but I feel like this whole wedding thing is starting to drive a wedge between us. You’re so focused on pleasing everyone else that you’ve barely had time for ‘us.’ We haven’t made love in over a month and who knows the last time we had a conversation or went somewhere together that didn’t involve our wedding. I want to marry you. You’re it for me, but this is just too much,” he said, frustrated.

                “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I just want everything to be perfect.” The tears were stinging my eyes once again, but I refused to let them fall.

                “I don’t need anything else, except you. It will be perfect as long as you’re there. I feel like we’re not in this together anymore and we haven’t taken the time out to just be ourselves. We need to do that, Olive, or this just isn’t going to work out,” he told me.

                “Josh I’m doing this for us. I promise,” I said.

                Josh scoffed and shook his head. “I’m going to bed. Have fun planning  _your_  wedding.” He stormed off towards the bedroom and I heard the door slam.

                I sat there in the kitchen wiping the few tears that had fallen off of my cheeks.  _Great, now Josh is mad at me, too. Why do I keep screwing everything up?_  For the next half hour, I stared blankly at all of the preparations I made, but not really seeing them. Tears kept blurring my vision and staining the papers as they fell. Eventually I got so frustrated; I threw everything onto the floor. I sat there and cried for five minutes, feeling sorry for myself and for the people I’d pissed off during this whole thing.  _I need Josh._  I got up and went over to our bedroom, hoping he didn’t lock me out.

                I slowly twisted the knob and breathed a sigh of relief when I found it was unlocked. Slowly, I opened the door and stood in the entry way. Josh was sitting on the edge of the bed, reading one of his scripts.

                “Hi,” I whispered. He didn’t acknowledge me, just flipped the page. My heart gave a painful lurch when he ignored me, but I didn’t blame him. I walked over to the bed and sat behind him, resting my chin on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Josh. You’re right. I’m completely letting this wedding take me over and it’s pulling us apart. The last thing I want is for that to happen. I love you and I want to be your wife. That’s all that matters to me,” I admitted.

                Josh sighed and I lifted my head up so he could turn around and face me. “I’m sorry, too, sweetheart. I know you’re stressed and I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just so frustrated. This whole thing is just turning us into people we aren’t.”

                I nodded. “I don’t mean to be such a nutcase. I swear, I’m trying my hardest to change,” I told him.

                Josh shook his head. “Olive, there’s only one thing I’d change about you and that’s your last name.”

                I smiled and pressed my forehead against his. “I can’t wait to be Olive Hutcherson,” I said. “Josh, we don’t have to do this whole wedding thing. It’s taking a toll on us. We can just go down to city hall and that’s it.”

                “We don’t have to go to city hall, Olive. I want us to have this wedding we’ve been planning because I know it will be perfect. I can’t wait to see you walk towards me in your beautiful white gown. I can’t wait to exchange vows with you in front of all the people we love. I can’t wait to seal the rest of our lives with a kiss. I want to have all of that with you, Olive Fairs. I also just want us to relax and be ourselves to get it done,” he explained.

                “Okay. Let’s turn over a new leaf; whenever we’re feeling stressed, we take a step back and tackle it later. No more running ourselves ragged or doing too many things at once,” I suggested.

                “Agreed,” he said, pulling my left hand up to his mouth and kissing the beautiful, diamond engagement ring that lay there. Then he leaned forward and kissed me deeply. I moaned into his mouth and pulled him closer.

                “I’ve missed you,” I whispered against his lips.

                “I’ve missed you too, baby. Let’s make up for lost time, shall we?” he asked.

                I nodded and kissed him again, trying to pull him back on the bed, but he broke away. “What’s wrong?”

                “Nothing. I want you so bad, but I have something else planned first,” he said, picking me up off the bed. I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck as he brought us into the bathroom. I gasped when I looked around and saw dozens of flickering candles around the room.

                “This is what you had planned?” I asked in amazement.

                “Yeah. I figured it would be a matter of time before you came to bed, so I just left the candles burning,” he explained. “I left the Jacuzzi half full so I could add the hot water now.” He set me down on my feet and turned on the tap to the hot water. I went to pull my shirt over my head, but he stopped me. “I want to do that,” he whispered.

                I let Josh slowly undress me, planting wet kisses on my skin as it became exposed to him. By the time I was naked, I was a giant puddle of goo and my hands were stroking my lower stomach, trying hard not to venture lower and touch myself. Josh watched my every movement as he undressed in front of me, my hands moving lower as his clothes came off.

                “Touch yourself for me, baby,” he whispered, unbuttoning his jeans.

                I let my hands finally slide between my legs and I whimpered at the feel. It had been so long since I’d had any sexual contact and I was already so close to losing it. Josh’s breathing became heavier as he pulled his pants and boxers off, his erection springing free. He took a step towards me and kissed me hard, letting his tongue explore my mouth. His hand reached between us and he pulled my hand from me, making me whimper.

                “I have plans for us, baby. I don’t want this to be over yet,” he said, sucking my fingers into his mouth, licking my wetness off of them. I went weak in the knees and almost collapsed at the dark, lustful look in his eyes.

                “Josh, you’re killing me,” I whimpered.

                He took a step back and smiled. “Come on, baby. Let’s get in and relax,” he said, motioning towards the tub. I pouted, but got in warm water and he turned the taps off. He walked over to a bucket on the sink that I didn’t notice earlier and cracked open the bottle of champagne that was in there, pouring it into the two flutes beside it. When he was done, he handed me one glass and got into the Jacuzzi with me and turned the jets on.

                For the next half hour, we drank champagne and talked about everything except the wedding. It was nice to just be able to laugh and be carefree like we had always been. Eventually, we started to get hot and heavy again, making out like we were teenagers and grinding against each other. Josh hastily turned the jets off and pulled the plug.

                “Bedroom,” he whispered against my lips when we climbed out.

                “Not going to make it,” I replied, pulling myself closer in his arms. Josh laid me down on the fluffy, white towels on the floor and proceeded to make love to me until I was a shaking, sensitive mess from the four orgasms he gave me. As I watched him in the candlelight on top of me, letting go, I couldn’t imagine ever going longer than a day without having him again.

                Afterwards, we laid on the towels, holding each other close and kissing passionately. “I love you so much, Olive,” he murmured.

                “I love you, too, Josh. I really am sorry for being so crazy lately. Next time I get like that, you have my permission to throw me down and fuck me until I come to my senses,” I said.

                Josh laughed and pulled me even tighter to him. “How about I just fuck you senseless until you come?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

                “Mmmm you can do that  _anytime_  you want,” I giggled.

                Of course, Josh and I knew that we were bound to get stressed over the coming months, but luckily we had finally found the perfect balance.


	40. Imagine Waking Up From a Nightmare to Josh's Arms Around You

                “Mom?” I asked, seeing her sitting on the couch in the living room of my childhood home. She looked like she always had, before she got sick and I was wondering how she got here.

                “Olive,” she smiled at me.

                “I don’t understand how you’re here? You’ve been dead for years,” I said.

                She shrugged. “I was dead. I’m not dead anymore, but I am sick again.”

                Pain washed through me and I went to sit down next to her. “You’re not dead anymore, but you’re sick again?”

                “Yes. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m going to die,” she said sadly.

                “But you’ve already died! I don’t understand! Why are you dying again?” I asked, tears coming to my eyes. I wrapped my arms around her and she hugged me back. I couldn’t believe I was back in her arms again and she would be leaving me again.

                “I told you; I’m sick again. I’m sorry,” she whispered.

                “I can’t do this again, mom. I can’t watch you die again!” I cried, holding her tighter as if it would keep her there.

                “I’m sorry, Olive, but I have to,” she told me.

                I let her go and looked up at her, seeing her hair start to fall out and her face start to bloat. “Mom?” I asked.

                “Love you,” she slurred out as her body became what it had the first time she was sick. I watched in horror as she wasted away before me until there was nothing left. I screamed for her, but there was no reply. I collapsed to the floor, my tears soaking the carpet. I stared at the front door and briefly saw her walk by without looking at me.

                “MOM!” I screamed.

                “OLIVE!” I heard my name being shouted.

                My eyes popped open and I took a deep breath, ready to yell for her again, when I realized I was no longer in my old living room, but in Josh’s bedroom. It was dark and I was covered in sweat and tears, completely tangled up in the sheets and comforters.

                “Olive, look at me,” I heard Josh say frantically, his hands grasping my face and turning me towards him. I met his eyes and saw he was wide awake, looking frightened.

                “Where’s my mom?” I asked, feeling completely disoriented.

                “Sweetheart, you know your mom is dead,” he said slowly.

                “Again?” I asked, my heart pounding out of my chest.

                A look of understanding and sadness crossed his face. “Olive, did you have the dream again?”

                It took me a minute to realize what he was asking.  _The dream; it was a dream._  It was then I remember that this wasn’t the first time I’d had it. There had been multiple occurrences, always when I was stressed or not sleeping enough. “She’s dead,” I whispered, staring into his eyes.

                Josh nodded. “She is. I wish she wasn’t, but she is,” he told me, brushing the hair out of my eyes. I laid there, letting the feelings of anger and mourning sweep over me.  _Why does my brain constantly do this to me?_

                “I hate this,” I said, wiping fresh tears away from my eyes.

                Josh pulled me into his chest and shushed me. “It’s all right, it’s all right. It was just a dream,” he whispered as I buried my face in his chest, trying to calm the feeling of hysteria that usually took over me at this point. I took deep breaths, letting Josh’s scent wash over me to remind me that he was real and my mother leaving me again was not. I pulled my head back when I was finally under control of my emotions and he kissed me softly on the lips.

                “I love you,” I whispered.

                “I love you, too, Olive. Try and get some sleep, baby,” he replied, planting one more kiss on my forehead.

                I snuggled back into his arms, letting my eyes drift shut and not thinking about anything except the feel of his fingers gently caressing my hair. The next time my eyes opened, the room was lit up from the sun and we were still wrapped up in the same position we had fallen asleep in, his fingers still in my hair only now they weren’t moving. I carefully extracted myself from his arms and he grumbled slightly before falling back to sleep.

                I felt disgusting for falling back to sleep all sweaty last night, so I decided to take a shower. I got out of bed and stretched before walking into the bathroom. I didn’t have any clothes on so I just walked right into Josh’s massive shower, washing away the stickiness.

                I was scrubbing my face when I felt two arms wrap around me, making me jump and scream. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” Josh’s gravelly voice said. I rinsed my face wash off so I could turn around to look at him. He looked adorably sleepy, his hair sticking up at all ends.

                “It’s early, Josh, what are you doing awake?” I asked.

                “I woke up, feeling that your side of the bed was cold and empty. I don’t like sleeping without you, so I decided to join you instead,” he reasoned, grabbing my shampoo from the shelf. He made a motion for me to turn around and I sighed as his fingers massaged the shampoo into my scalp and hair.

                “You know, if this whole acting thing ever stops working out, you can always become a professional hair washer at a salon,” I teased.

                Josh chuckled. “I’m sure they would hire me in a second.”

                “They would! Women would gladly let a straight, hunk of man meat such as yourself wash their hair. Hell, you’d probably make just as much money as you do now. They’d give you very generous tips and I’m sure lots of blow job offers,” I said.

                Josh full out laughed now, massaging my scalp deeper. “Good to know, but the only one I want a blow job from, is you,” he admitted. “Now rinse and we’ll condition.”

                “Yes, sir,” I said, turning around to wash the suds out of my hair. When I was done, Josh conditioned it for me and let me rinse it out before grabbing the bar of soap.

                “I hope you didn’t wash your body yet, although even if you did, I’m going to wash it again,” he told me.

                I smiled. “I have not washed my body yet. You may do the honors.”

                “Oh, that’s not all I’m going to do,” he said playfully.

                I rolled my eyes and took a step closer to him. Josh got down on his knees and started washing my calves before moving upwards. He washed my thighs slowly, his fingers getting close to my most sensitive area without actually touching me. I pouted when he moved higher, washing my stomach and chest, washing my breasts for about five minutes each.

                “Okay, Josh, I think they’re clean,” I said.

                “But I like rubbing your boobs,” he replied, sounding like a child.

                “Trust me, I know you do, but let’s move on, shall we?” I asked. He sighed and we finished washing my body. “Now, do I get to wash you?” I asked.

                Josh smirked, grabbing his three in one Old Spice shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. “Next time. This is going to be quick,” he said.

                Josh was literally clean in two minutes and I was envious.  _Stupid boys with their short hair and three in one soap stuff._  We stepped out of the stall once Josh had shut the water off and wrapped ourselves in his soft, cotton towels. Josh tucked his low on his waist and held me close, kissing me deeply. “Good morning,” he whispered.

                I laughed. “You just washed my entire body for ten minutes and now you say good morning?”

                He smiled. “Well, it is a good morning,” he said, his face turning into a slight frown. “For me, at least. Are you all right?”

                I sighed and rested my head on his chest. “I’m okay. I’m sorry about last night.”

                “You don’t have anything to apologize for, Olive. You had a nightmare. I just want to make sure you’re okay. If you want to talk about it, I’m here,” he offered.

                “It’s just the same reoccurring nightmare I always have about my mom. I just need to relax and get more sleep. That’s it,” I said.

                Josh sighed. “Maybe you’re missing her now more than ever because we’re planning our wedding and she’s not here to help or be there,” he suggested.

                “Probably. It does suck, but I swear I’m okay. Obviously I’m sad and I will always be sad, but I know she’s here in spirit,” I said.

                Josh nodded and kissed my forehead. “She is and there’s no doubt she’s proud of you.”

                I smiled at him. “Thanks, Josh. I know she would have loved you.”

                “Well, everyone loves me, so of course she would have,” he teased.

                I giggled and smacked his behind. “Be nice.”

                “I’m always nice,” he whispered, kissing me passionately. Josh showed me just how nice he was all morning and into the afternoon, effectively wiping the nightmare from my mind.


	41. Imagine If This Is All Really Happening, Part 2

                I fiddled with my bow tie and cleared my throat as I sat in the back of the car on my way to the White House Correspondents Dinner. I had been invited by People Magazine and I was excited for it. The only thing missing was Olive. I wanted to have her there on my arm as my date, but I had already invited my mom. Besides, Olive had flat out refused to go with me, saying she wasn’t ready for that. Things were heating up between us, but since we lived on different coasts and couldn’t see each other all the time, we decided to keep our relationship casual, not putting any label on it.

                “You look nervous,” my mom said.

                I shrugged. “I’m fine. I’m ready to have a good time,” I replied. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I quickly took it out, seeing Olive’s name and beautiful face staring back at me. “Hello?” I answered.

                “Hey, you,” she purred. “I just got the picture you sent me. You look so handsome in your suit and bowtie.”

                I smiled widely. “I’m glad you approve. I can’t wait to see you,” I murmured. I felt my mom looking at me from my peripherals, but ignored her.

                “Less than twelve hours. It sucks you’re only staying for a day,” she said sadly.

                “I know. You’ll be out to LA in a few weeks, though, even though I’ll basically be incapacitated and drugged up,” I said.

                “Ah yes, your nose surgery,” she said. “How long have you been walking around with it broken again?”

                “Too long. I finally have a long enough break from work and events to get it done. I’m going to look like shit,” I replied.

                “You’re going to feel like shit, too. My stepdad had it done once and he said it was the most painful recovery ever. Then he broke it again and is still walking around with it like that because he refuses to have the surgery again,” she told me.

                “Thanks, Olive, you’re making me feel so much better,” I said sarcastically.

                “I’m sorry. You’ll be fine. I’ll come out there a week and a half after you have it and nurse you back to health,” she said.

                I smiled. “Yeah?”

                “Mhm. I’ll even wear a sexy little nurse outfit for you if you want. Or I’ll just care for you naked; whichever you prefer.”

                My pants automatically tightened at the thought and I shifted in my seat. “The latter would be nice,” I said quietly.

                “You know, we missed Thursday this week,” she pointed out.

                I bit my lip, shifting yet again. “I know. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow,” I whispered.

                “Or you can make it up to me now. My hand has been aching to move into my pants since you answered your phone,” she said huskily.

                “Jesus fucking Christ,” I groaned. My mom smacked me hard on my arm which brought me back to reality and immediately deflated my erection.

                “Watch your mouth,” she scolded.

                “Oh, shit! Is your mom sitting right there?” Olive asked.

                “Yes. We’re on our way to the dinner,” I told her.

                “Fuck! I’m sorry!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t mean to get you all hot and bothered with her right there. Next time give me a little warning.”

                “It’s fine. I wanted to hear your voice before I went anyway,” I admitted.

                “Well, you were about to hear my moans, but that’s obviously not going to happen now. I think I’m going to take care of my little problem and I will see you tomorrow,” she said.

                “No, don’t. Twenty minutes, all right?” I pleaded.

                “You’re going to call me back in twenty minutes? Are you going to jerk off in the Washington Hilton, Joshua Ryan?” she asked.

                “I most certainly am,” I replied. “Seriously, Olive. Twenty minutes.”

                “Okay. I’ll be waiting,” she replied before hanging up. I put my phone back in my pocket and my mother was looking at me expectantly.

                “What?” I asked.

                “Who’s Olive?” she questioned.

                I bit my lip. “Just a friend,” I mumbled.

                “Just a friend? What were you two talking about?”

                “Nothing. She’s the one I’m visiting in New York tomorrow and she was just finalizing plans,” I said.

                “She sounds like she’s more than just a friend, Josh. You don’t just tell a friend that you wanted to hear their voice,” she pointed out.

                “Well, she’s a little more than just a friend,” I admitted. “We live on different coasts, though, so we decided to just not put a label on what we are.”

                She stared at me thoughtfully for a moment. “Invite her out to Kentucky next weekend,” she insisted. “I want to meet her and she can come to Connor’s birthday party.”

                My eyes bulged out of my head. “Mom! I’m not going to invite her to Kentucky to meet the family! She’s not even officially my girlfriend and I don’t want to make this awkward for her.”

                “I know that, Josh, but invite her out. You said you live on opposite coasts and you’re only going to New York for twenty four hours, so have her come out next weekend so you can see her and I can meet her,” she said.

                “I don’t know, mom. She’ll probably say no,” I mumbled.

                “She might not. I promise I will not give her the third degree and she will be treated just like everyone of your friends you bring home. No one will embarrass her or grill her for any sort of details. I can tell you like her a lot and I know you want to spend time with her. Unless you don’t want her to come out?” she wondered.

                “No, I want her to. Trust me, I want her to see where I grew up and meet my family more than anything, but I don’t want to freak her out. What we have is casual and I feel like asking her that would be making it more than that,” I explained.

                “I understand that, Josh. Just invite her and say that you want her to come visit and spend the weekend. No pressure for anything else. I promise,” she swore.

                I sighed and nodded. “Okay, I’ll ask her tomorrow,” I gave in.

                My mom smiled. “Good. Now how did you meet her?” she asked.

                 _Fuck! Quick, make something up!_ “Andre and I met her when we were in New York doing Hunger Games promo. We went out to dinner with one of his friends and she was there. Then she came out to LA not too long ago for work and we became inseparable,” I lied. My mother bought it and I sighed in relief on the inside. We pulled up to the Washington Hilton a few minutes later and I was immediately enveloped in the flashing lights of the thousands of cameras and the press on the red carpet. After many photo sessions and interviews, I made my way to the nearest private restroom. It was small with just a toilet and a sink, but the lock worked and it was loud enough outside that no one would hear me in here.

                I pulled my phone out and quickly dialed Olive. “Hi, baby,” she answered.

                “I hope you’re still ready, because I’m going to make you come so hard,” I murmured.

                “Mmmm I took a shower quickly and it got me even more worked up,” she answered.

                “Are you naked?” I asked, pulling my pants down enough to free my erection.

                “I’m wearing a towel,” she replied.

                “Take it off,” I ordered. “I can just picture you lying there completely naked, your hands aching to touch yourself.”

                “You have no idea,” she panted. “I wish it was you touching me.”

                “Trust me, I do too. Tomorrow, I promise I will not keep my hands off of you,” I swore.

                “I’m counting on it.” For the next ten minutes, I talked dirty to Olive, telling her all the things I was going to do to her when I saw her. Her moans and whimpers drove me crazy as I stroked myself, wishing I was inside her.

                “You like it when I tell you how to touch yourself?” I asked huskily.

                “So much,” was her breathless reply.

                “My dirty girl. Let me hear you come. Scream my name,” I instructed. Listening to her scream my name as she orgasmed did me in and I slumped over, stroking myself as I came hard. It was a miracle I managed to keep the phone up to my ear.

                “Fuck, Josh. That was so good,” she said, trying to catch her breath.

                “I know, baby. Listening to you let go was so hot. I can’t wait to see it again,” I replied. There was a loud bang on the bathroom door. “HOLD ON A SECOND!” I shouted.

                “Are you being summoned?” she asked lazily.

                “Unfortunately. I hate to cut our afterglow short, but I have to do that damn dinner,” I said.

                “Have fun. I’ll be waiting for you when you get here.” We hung up and I quickly cleaned myself up, pulled my pants back up, and washed my hands.

                I opened the door and saw my mother standing there, waiting impatiently for me. “Takes you fifteen minutes to pee?” she asked.

                “Well I made a quick phone call to Olive first since it was cut short in the car, and then I went to the bathroom,” I explained.

                “Okay, well let’s go. They’re starting soon,” she said. The dinner was amazing and I got to meet a lot of new people as well as catch up with those I already knew. I had a great time and I hoped I’d be invited back again next year. Once it was over, my mom and I checked into our rooms for a few hours of sleep before heading to the airport. She was on her way back to Kentucky and I was going to New York. I told her I’d see her in a day and made my way to my gate. Two hours later, I landed at LaGuardia.

                There was not one photographer in sight and I hoped I could make this trip quiet and under the radar. I took a cab into Manhattan and to Olive’s apartment. It was seven in the morning and she answered the door, looking adorably sleepy.

                “You’re here,” she murmured letting me into her apartment. I set my bag down and pulled her into my arms, holding her close and breathing in her sweet scent.

                “I’m here,” I whispered. “I’m not letting you go for the next twenty four hours.”

                “Good. I don’t plan on letting you go either,” she replied.

                We went into her bedroom and even though we were both exhausted, I had to have her. “No trouble getting here?” she asked, getting into her bed. I stripped down to my boxers and climbed in next to her.

                “Nope. My mom and Andre are the only ones who know I’m in New York. There were no photographers or anything. The media doesn’t expect me to be here, so I’m positive this will never be found out.”

                “Good,” she whispered, kissing me softly. That small kiss set me on fire and I pulled her close, rolling us so I was on top of her.

                “I want you so bad, Olive,” I said, pressing my erection into her hip.

                “Take me,” she pleaded. I helped her pull her pajamas off and immediately pushed my fingers inside of her. The moan that left her mouth immediately made me even harder and I kissed her passionately.

                “Already so wet for me,” I commented.

                “I’m always ready for you,” she whimpered, throwing her head back as I pushed upwards hard on her g-spot.

                “I love your response when I touch you there. Your whole body reacts. It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” I whispered, planting wet kissed on her neck and collar bone.

                “Please don’t stop,” she begged.

                “I’ll never stop, Olive,” I promised. My fingers pumped in and out of her as she tried her hardest to hold on. It only made me pump harder, wanting her to come as hard as I could make her. “Don’t hold back, baby. I want to see it.”

                Her whole body shuddered and she spasmed around my fingers, getting even wetter as she came with an intensity I hadn’t seen before. I just watched in amazement and didn’t let up my fingers movements as she let her body take over. I pulled my fingers out when she could take no more and sucked them clean before hovering over her as her body continued to tremble. “Josh,” she whimpered, pulling me down for a kiss with her shaking hands.

                “You’re so beautiful,” I whispered against her lips. “I need to see that again.”

                She gave a short breathless laugh. “That was amazingly intense so you’re going to have to let me recuperate for a minute,” she said.

                I kissed her forehead and gently stroked her inner thighs as her breathing slowed down. I was hard and aching to be inside of her. “I need you, Olive,” I groaned.

                She pulled me so I was pressed against her, her thighs cradling my hips. “I need you, too,” she replied, giving me a sweet kiss. I tilted my hips and slowly pushed into her, relishing every inch that enveloped me.

                “You always feel so perfect, Olive. I can never get enough of you,” I admitted, thrusting gently back and forth. I wanted to take my time with her; feel every shudder of her body, hear every breathless little whimper.

                “No one else, but you, Josh,” she whispered. “Only you’ve ever made me feel this way.”

                “I don’t want anyone else, except you. No one comes close,” I said honestly. Our love making was slow and incredible. Feeling every inch of her take me in would never get old. When we were both close, I only sped up a little bit, letting my body take over.

                “Josh!” she cried, letting go, never breaking eye contact with me. I fisted the sheets next to her head and let go as well, looking into her blue eyes and shuddering. Our breathing was heavy, but in sync and I slowly pulled out to lye beside her and hold her.

                “I’ve missed you,” I said, running my fingers through her hair.

                She smiled contently. “I’ve missed you, too. I’m so glad you’re here, even if it’s only for a little while.”

                “I know,” I whispered.

                “It’s going to be hard not seeing you for a few weeks,” she admitted.

                “Well, if you agree, we can see each other before then,” I said.

                “If I agree to what?” she asked, turning her head to look up at me.

                “Well, as you know, my mom was in the car with me when you called last night and of course she grilled me about you. She wants me to invite you out to Kentucky next weekend for my brother’s sixteenth birthday party and to meet you,” I said nervously.

                Olive’s eyes widened. “Um, I’m not sure,” she said, biting her lip.

                “She knows we don’t have a label, Olive and she’s okay with that. She’s not going to make you feel uncomfortable and give you the third degree about what you’re doing with her son. She just wants to meet you and she’s not going to pressure you,” I explained. “You can come from Friday night to Sunday night and I will pay for your flights.”

                “Josh, I don’t need you to pay for my flights,” she said, shaking her head.

                “I know you don’t, but I want to. You’re coming out to see me in Kentucky and I want to pay for that,” I insisted.

                Olive sat up and leaned back against the pillows, clutching her comforter to her chest. “Your family knows I’m not your girlfriend, right?” she asked.

                I nodded. “They know we’re more than friends, but they know you’re not my girlfriend, correct,” I confirmed.

                “And they’re okay with that?” she questioned.

                “Of course they are. Even if they weren’t, it’s my life. Please, come? I really want to see you before you come out to LA. We’ll have a great time, I promise. My parents aren’t going to make us sleep in separate rooms and my bedroom is in the basement so we can have all the sex we want,” I told her.

                Olive sat there, looking thoughtful for a few moments. “Okay, I’ll go,” she consented. “Can I please pay for my flights, though?”

                I shook my head. “Absolutely not,” I said with finality.

                She pouted for a few minutes, but when she saw I wasn’t wavering, she gave up. “Okay,” she said.

                I smiled and gave her a kiss, letting my tongue tease her lips. “Thank you,” I whispered. She smiled and cuddled back into my arms. Even though I was only in New York for a day, I was glad to be spending it with her. I was nervous about the next weekend, but I couldn’t wait for Olive to come to Kentucky and see where I came from and meet my family.

                “By the way, I loved your Sexual Thursday story,” I whispered.

                She giggled. “Why, thank you. Wait until you read about this little encounter. I’m going to need to pick your brain because it’s going to be from your point of view after all.”

                “Can’t wait,” I said, kissing her softly. 


	42. Imagine it's Josh's and Yours Wedding Day

                “Only twenty-four hours until you are officially Mrs. Joshua Hutcherson!” Anna, my maid of honor, exclaimed excitedly.

                I smiled widely and took a sip of my cocktail. “I know, I can’t wait,” I said wistfully. It was the day before the wedding and Josh and I had decided to take our bridal party out on a yacht for the afternoon around the island of Capri, Italy. We had been in Capri for four days already, getting everything settled and working on last minute details before the big day. All of our close friends and family were with us, sharing our special day.

                “Are you nervous?” my bridesmaid, Ali, asked.

                I shrugged. “I mean, a little bit. I’m not nervous about marrying Josh, I’m just nervous that something is going to go wrong, like I’m going to fall on my face walking down the aisle or something.”

                “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” Anna reassured me.

                My three bridesmaids and I were at the front of the yacht, soaking up the sun while Josh and his groomsmen were at the back, jumping off the boat into the crystal blue water of the Mediterranean. We were grateful to have the time to relax and enjoy the weather before our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner later on in the evening. I closed my eyes and sighed with content at the warm sun on my face.  _I wish I could do this every day._  A few minutes later, I frowned as I felt the sun disappear and I opened my eyes expecting to see clouds above. Instead, I saw a soaking wet Josh, smiling down at me.

                “Hey you,” he whispered, leaning down to give me a kiss.

                I squealed at little as the cold water from his body dripped down on me, but moaned lightly into his sweet kiss. My friends giggled and made gagging noises behind us, so I flipped them off. “You boys having fun?” I asked, once he broke away.

                “We sure are, but all the fun for me is up here,” he said huskily, surveying me in my bikini. “Wanna head below deck for a while?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

                I giggled, about to consent, when Anna loudly cut in. “Oh no you don’t, Josh! No sex until tomorrow night!” she shouted.

                “I don’t remember ever saying that,” Josh replied.

                “Me either,” I said.

                “Come on, guys. You’re getting married tomorrow and then going on your honeymoon. You have all the time in the world to have sex then! Now, it’s time for all of us to have some quality time and just relax. Go rejoin your boys, Josh,” Haley, my third bridesmaid ordered.

                Josh pouted, but gave me one last kiss before heading back down to his groomsmen. We spent the next hour soaking up as much sun as possible before heading back to the docks. After showering and getting ready back at the hotel, we headed up to the top of Anacapri, where our ceremony would be taking place the next day. Since Josh and I weren’t religious, we decided to have a Justice of the Peace marry us. We quickly ran through our rehearsal, getting even more excited for the real thing in less than a day.

                “I can’t wait to marry you, Olive Fairs,” Josh whispered as we walked back down the aisle, hand in hand.

                I smiled, leaning my head in the crook of his neck. “Well, this will be your last chance to call me by my maiden name. After tomorrow, I’ll be a married woman,” I told him. Josh chuckled and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him.

                Our rehearsal dinner was held at the Capricorno Restaurant where our table was overlooking the sea. The food was delicious and the wine flow was endless. Of course, after a few glasses, people started to make speeches. Ali and Anna cried as they regaled the outrageous stories from our childhood and how they loved me. Josh’s brother, Connor, told every embarrassing story about Josh he could think of off the top of his head. Then, Josh’s mother stood up to speak.

                “I just wanted to say that I am so happy I am finally getting a daughter. I knew, from the moment Josh brought you home to meet us, that you two were made for each other,” she said. I smiled and Josh put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him. “You’re beautiful, smart, funny, and you have no problem putting my son in his place when need be. Even when things started to get hectic with his career and his fans, your devotion to each other never wavered. The only thing I’ve ever wanted for my son was for him to be happy. You, Olive, make him happier than I could have ever dreamed of. I know that your parents are looking down on you now and they are so proud of the woman you are. I thank them, from the bottom of my heart, for creating such a wonderful human being,” she said, wiping away tears.

            Tears were also pouring down my face as I stood up to hug her while everyone sniffled around us. “Thank you,” I choked.

            “I meant every word,” she whispered to me before letting me go. Josh also gave her a hug, his eyes glassy with unshed tears.

            We sat back down and the dessert was passed out; gelato with a shot of lemoncello. The night was absolutely perfect and I was glad the people we loved the most were there.

            “All right, you two; say your good nights!” Haley said as we exited the restaurant. Josh, his father, and groomsmen were all staying at a different hotel for the night, effectively keeping Josh and I apart until the ceremony the next day. Neither one of us were happy about it, but we knew it was tradition and it was something we would not get our way about.

            “I love you,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck.

            “And I love you. Just one more sleep until I get to call you my wife,” he said, placing his hands on my waist and leaning his forehead against mine.

            “I’ll be counting down the minutes,” I murmured. Josh leaned down and kissed me softly, letting his lips linger on mine.

            “Sweet dreams, Olive. I’ll meet you at the altar,” he said, kissing me one last time.

            “See you there,” I sighed, letting him go. I watched as he was whisked away with the other men, still looking back at me every few feet. He blew me a kiss before they turned a corner and were completely out of sight.

            “Come on, Olive. You’ll see him again before you can even miss him,” Ali said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

            “I always miss him when we’re apart, no matter how short a time period,” I replied. My bridesmaids, Michelle, and my two cousins; Heather and Leah, took me back to the hotel where we had a massive suite to all spend the night in.

            “You didn’t think we’d make you stay by yourself, did you?” Michelle asked, swiping the card in the door to let us in. The room was absolutely beautiful with a large balcony overlooking the town and sea. We all changed into our pajamas and settled in with a few glasses of wine and good conversation.

            “So are you going to be changing your last name?” Leah asked.

            “Yes and no. I will be changing it, but professionally, I will still be known as Olive Fairs,” I answered.

            “I can understand that,” Anna said.

            “I’m surprised the paparazzi haven’t invaded the island. They usually follow you two wherever you go, especially since they know that your wedding date is soon,” Heather observed.

            I smiled. “We had a bunch of people give a fake lead saying that we were getting married in Hawaii. No one knows we’re here and before they can figure it out, we’ll already be married and on our honeymoon in Greece,” I explained.

            “So perfect. Are you going to share a beautiful picture of the two of you with the press?” Ali wondered.

            I shook my head. “Absolutely not. If we wanted the whole world to see our wedding, we would have invited them.”

            “Good for you. A lot of celebrities these days sell their wedding albums to make a quick buck,” Michelle said in disgust.

            “We’ll never sell out like that,” I assured her.

            After finishing off a bottle of wine, we decided to head off to bed. I was in my own room of the suite and           I spent most of the night staring at the ceiling, too anxious and nervous to sleep. Josh was apparently in the same boat since he was texting me for most of the night. Josh and I had spent a lot of time apart, especially when he was away filming, and we were both not very good at handling the separation. I always slept better with his arms around me and tonight the bed just felt cold and empty without him. I must have eventually fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I was being abruptly awoken and the room was filled with bright sunlight.

            “It’s your wedding day!” Anna exclaimed, jumping on the bed next to me.

            “Ugh, five more minutes,” I grumbled, stretching and realizing my phone was still in my hand. I unlocked it and saw I had two text messages from Josh;

             _I can’t wait to have two weeks of alone time with you traveling all over Greece._

And

             _I’m going to guess you fell asleep from your lack of response. Sleep tight, sweetheart and I will see you in a few hours. I love you._

I sighed and held my phone to my chest, wishing it was Josh I was hugging.

            “Olive, you look like shit. How much sleep did you get last night?” Anna asked, surveying my face.

            “Thanks, bitch. A few hours I think. I don’t remember falling asleep,” I replied.

            “I hope we have enough concealer to cover those bags under your eyes,” she joked, elbowing me in the ribs.

            I rolled my eyes and sat up, running my fingers through my hair. It was a beautiful, sunny day out; perfect for a wedding.

            “Are we awake in here?” Michelle asked, coming into the room. She looked at me and smiled. “Today is the day you officially become my daughter. I’m so happy I could cry!” she choked, wiping her eyes.

            “All right, ladies, get all of your tears out now  _before_  we start putting on makeup!” Anna said.

            After eating a light breakfast of fruit and toast, we all started to get ready. The hair and cosmetic team showed up with the photographer and started to get us ready. My hair was styled and my makeup applied at the same time as the photographer ran around, snapping pictures of me, and everything in the room. Two hours later, we were all beautified and everyone was in their dresses except me.

            “I really wish you would have gotten that ‘Mrs. Hutcherson’ track suit,” Ali said.

            “Those things are so cheesy! I know who I’m marrying, I don’t need a track suit as a reminder,” I told her.

            There was a knock at the door and Heather answered it. Connor walked into the room, wearing his tuxedo and carrying a small, turquoise Tiffany bag. “Special delivery for the bride,” he said, handing the bag to me. I took it from him and had Leah get the gift for Josh out of my suitcase. I had gotten him a beautiful Rolex watch to wear.

            “Give that to Josh for me?” I asked Connor.

            “Of course! Now open your gift. I’m supposed to report your reaction,” he explained.

            I giggled and pulled the card off the front of the bag. The front was white with the word “Love” written across it in red. I opened it and read;

             _My Olive,_

_I love you more than words and I’m more than ready to spend the rest of my life with you. Please accept this gift as a token of our wedding day. I can’t wait to see you walking towards me wearing it._

_Love you always,_

_Your Josh_

            I smiled and pulled the box out of the bag and opened it. Inside lay a beautiful diamond and blue sapphire bracelet. I gasped as everyone “ooh-ed” and “ahh-ed” at it. Michelle took it out of the box and helped me put it on. It glittered and sparkled in the sun. “It’s so beautiful,” I whispered, unable to take my eyes off of it.

            “Well, there is your something blue and something new!” Michelle said. For my something old I had my great grandmother’s diamond necklace that had been passed down to me and for my something borrowed, I had a beautiful, silver, intricate hair comb from Michelle to hold my veil in place.

            “Good, now I can report that you love it and you will be wearing it. See you out there!” Connor said, giving me a kiss on the cheek before exiting the room with Josh’s gift. Everyone helped me get into my dress and set my veil in place. My dress was a one of a kind Badgley Mischka with beautiful beading at the top, a sweetheart neckline, and cap sleeves. It was perfect and I felt beautiful in it. I slipped on my crystal Christian Louboutin pumps and we headed outside. After taking what seemed like a million pictures, it was time to head up to the top of Anacapri.

            The ceremony was set up and our guests were starting to arrive as we went into the white tent that had been set up for us. I sipped on a glass of champagne with the others, hoping to calm the butterflies in my stomach. Everything seemed to be moving so fast and I felt as if I was stuck in a daze of nerves. The next thing I knew, Michelle was gone and my bridesmaids were exiting the tent to walk down the aisle.

            “Are you okay, Olive?” Anna asked when it was just us.

            “I’m fine,” I whispered.

            “Remember, it’s Josh out there waiting for you and you both love each other. Nothing is going to go wrong,” she reassured me.

            I nodded and she gave me a kiss on the cheek before exiting the tent to walk down the aisle. I was alone now. I looked around and counted to twenty before grabbing my bouquet with shaking hands and exiting the tent. I let my feet lead me to the start of the aisle, my heart pounding and my palms sweating. It was at this moment I wished my father was still alive to give me away. I let a tear slip down my cheek as I thought of him and my mother. I hoped they were watching over me.

            I looked up as the string quartet changed the music and my eyes locked with Josh. He wasn’t looking nervous at all and he was smiling at me adoringly. I smiled back and my nerves melted away. I slowly walked towards the altar, getting more excited with every step closer to Josh. Everyone around me seemed to disappear, leaving Josh and I the only people left on earth. When I was finally in front of him, he took my hand and kissed it, pulling me so I was facing him.

            “You look beautiful,” he whispered.

            I smiled even brighter, not even noticing Anna removing the bouquet from my hand. “Thank you,” I whispered back. “You look extremely handsome.” He was in a form fitting black tuxedo with a skinny black tie. He looked incredible.

            “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the loving union of Joshua Ryan Hutcherson and Olive Grace Fairs,” the Justice of the Peace began. The ceremony seemed to fly by as we said our vows, exchanged rings, and lit our unity candle. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Josh, you may kiss your bride.”

            Josh pulled me close and my arms went around his neck as he kissed me with everything he had. I faintly heard the loud cheers and whistles of out friends and families as we sealed our marriage with our first kiss. Eventually, we had to break apart and we turned towards the crowd, watching them clap and wipe away their tears. Josh and I headed back down the aisle and into the tent I had exited earlier.

            “We’re married!” I exclaimed, kissing him yet again.

            “I’m so happy, Olive. I love you so much and I’m excited to finally start the rest of our life together,” he whispered, looking into my eyes.

            “Forever,” I replied. 


	43. Imagine When You Come Home

                “Your body is healing nicely,” Dr. Langer said, pressing down lightly on my stomach. “Your uterus is almost back to its normal size and shape. I’d say two more weeks and you can start your normal exercise routine again.”

                “Perfect. I need to get rid of the rest of this baby weight,” I commented, pointing to the pooch of my stomach.

                She laughed. “Trust me, Olive, that will go away in the next few weeks. The only weight you really gained your entire pregnancy was the weight of the baby. Trust me, I have women in here that have gained seventy pounds because they think they can eat whatever they want and however much they want.”

                “Well I ate a lot, but I just constantly craved peaches and green beans. I guess that worked in my advantage,” I said.

                “It most certainly did. You’re one of the very few who craved healthy food. Worked to your advantage though! You’re going to have a very quick bounce back. I spoke to your midwife and she said your homebirth went off without a hitch,” she told me, looking slightly annoyed. She advised against me having a homebirth, but I was insistent and it turned out to be the best decision for me.

                “Yes, it did. Of course it was extremely painful, but it was nice to be in my own environment and not have random people coming in and out of the room, telling me what’s best for me and what I need done. I just feel like hospital births are way too invasive,” I explained.

                “If something went wrong though, it would have been easily taken care of,” she insisted.

                “Nothing went wrong, though. Eloise is perfectly healthy and happy and Josh got to be a huge part in her birth. He pretty much delivered her single handedly,” I told her.

                Dr. Langer sighed. “Well, your next appointment, I want you to bring her in. I would love to finally meet her,” she said with a smile.

                I smiled back. “Of course. Josh is home with her now, though. She was a bit cranky when I was leaving otherwise I would have brought her.”

                Dr. Langer waved me off. “No worries. You had to carry her for nine months, now it’s daddy’s turn to have her.”

                I nodded. “He’s so good with her,” I said, sitting up and pulling my shirt back down my stomach. “He’s done almost all of the diaper changes and midnight feedings. Not once has he complained.”

                “He’s sounds like an incredible father,” she said.

                “He really is,” I agreed. Once my exam was over, I said goodbye to Dr. Langer and headed home. The past three weeks had been golden. Sure, Josh and I were both suffering from serious lack of sleep and my body was still not back one hundred percent, but I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. Eloise was amazing. She was a beautiful baby with a mix of both Josh’s and mines features. She loved when we would sing to her, even though Josh and I were both terrible at it. All in all, she was a happy baby. I pulled up to our house and walked inside.

                “Josh?” I called. I heard no reply and I wondered where he could be. I went into the living room, setting my purse down near the couch when I heard his voice coming from our bedroom. I quietly walked down the hall to the door and peeked in. Josh was sitting on the edge of the bed, Eloise snuggled in his arms, cooing softly up at him.

                “You want daddy to sing to you, Ellie?” he asked her. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead before slowly rocking back and forth.

                 _“If you can’t sleep I’ll be there in your dreams_

_I’ll be there in your dreams if you can’t sleep at all_

_And in your dreams I’ll touch your cheek_

_And lay my head on your shoulder_

_Goodbye, shadow_

_Goodbye, shadow”_

Josh sang the She & Him song to our daughter until her little eyes closed and she fell asleep in his arms.

                “That was beautiful,” I whispered, hoping not to startle either one of them. Josh looked up and me and smiled.

                “I’m surprised my awful singing voice soothes her enough to sleep. Either that or she’s going to sleep just so she doesn’t have to listen to me anymore,” he joked.

                I giggled and walked into the room, sitting down next to him. “You’re an amazing dad, Josh,” I said and kissed him.

                “And you’re an amazing mom,” he answered. I looked down at our sleeping angel and saw Josh had dressed her in a tiny t-shirt that said “I Love Daddy” on it.

                “Nice shirt,” I commented.

                Josh chuckled. “I know. She picked it out herself.”

                I rolled my eyes. “Well, we have a very smart three week old if she’s already picking out her own clothes.”

                “Well with us as her parents, of course she’s smart. She’s smart, beautiful, and perfect,” he said adoringly, leaning down to kiss her forehead again. She stirred slightly before snuggling even closer to his chest.

                “I can’t believe she’s really here,” I whispered, softly stroking one of her tiny hands.

                “It’s weird; I can’t imagine life without her now,” he mused. We watched our daughter sleep for a few more minutes before Josh gently placed her in the basinet on his side of the bed. We shut the light, grabbed the baby monitor, and walked out into the living room, sitting close on the couch. “So what did the doctor say?” he asked.

                “Well, she was definitely displeased with the fact that we had a homebirth,” I replied.

                Josh rolled his eyes. “Everything went smoothly and you would have been way more stressed if we were at the hospital. We did our research and we knew something could go wrong, but we did what was best for us.”

                “That’s what I told her. She dropped it eventually and told me to bring Ellie next time because she wanted to meet her. My uterus is almost back to its normal size and in about two weeks I can go back to the exercise routine I had before I became pregnant,” I reiterated.

                “That’s good news. You hardly gained a pound that wasn’t all baby, though. You look exactly like you did before I knocked you up,” he said with a laugh.

                I gave him a light slap on the shoulder. “Not funny and I do not! I never had this pooch!” I said, pointing to my stomach.

                Josh placed his hand over it and rubbed. “Seriously, Olive? There’s barely anything there. It will go away on its own before you know it,” he reassured me.

                “At least it’ll be gone long before beach weather,” I mumbled.

                “I can’t wait for that. I can’t wait to take Ellie down there and play in the sand and the waves with her sexy mother in a bikini,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

                “Oh, stop, but yes, I can’t wait to introduce Ellie to the beach. I have a feeling she’s going to love the waves like her daddy since she already loves the water when she’s getting a bath,” I pondered.

                “When she gets older, I’m going to teach her how to surf. It’ll be our thing,” he said, blissfully.

                I smiled and gave him a quick kiss. “Our little surfer girl,” I whispered. Josh and I cuddled on the couch for the next hour, enjoying the quiet, alone time together before Ellie woke up screaming. I went into our bedroom and picked her up, trying to shush and soothe her as we went out into the living room. “It’s okay, baby girl. You go to daddy while mommy gets your bottle ready,” I told her, handing her off to Josh.

                I went into the kitchen and pulled out one of the premade bottles from the refrigerator. Since I chose not to breastfeed, but had a lot of milk, I decided pumping and then bottle feeding her with it was the best choice. I heated it up on the stove in a pot of water before going back out into the living room.

                “You want me to feed her?” Josh asked over Ellie’s crying.

                “No, I will. You’ll get the night shift,” I smiled.

                “It’s the least I can do after those nine months of her keeping you awake with her well placed kicks to your bladder,” he agreed. I sat on the couch and took Ellie from him. As soon as the bottle was in her mouth, she sucked the milk greedily and quieted down.

                “My girl is so hungry, aren’t you?” I asked her.

                “She’s been hungry all day. I think it’s crazy that babies have to eat every three hours. I’d throw up,” Josh said.

                “Well, she throws up sometimes too,” I reminded him. A few days ago, Josh had finished feeding her and began to burp her. She burped, but she also spit up all down his back as well.

                Josh shuddered at the memory. “That was awful I don’t really mind vomit, but when it goes down the back of your shirt, it is the most horrible feeling in the world.”

                “I told you to use the burping cloth. Now you’ve learned your lesson,” I said matter of factly.

                “I most certainly did.”

                Josh and I watched Ellie in amazement as she sucked down the bottle at top speed. When she was done, Josh went to clean out the empty bottle while I burped her. Luckily, she didn’t spit up and she was a lot more relaxed.

                “Are you full, princess?” I asked her, cradling her in my arms.

                “After all of that, I’d be surprised if she wasn’t,” Josh said as he sat back down next to me.

                Ellie started up at me with her big blue eyes and gave me a smile. “There’s my pretty girl! Look at that smile!” I exclaimed.

                “I’m pretty sure she’s smiling because she has gas,” Josh told me with a laugh.

                I laughed as well. “At least she’s happy about it!”

                Josh and I talked to Ellie for the next hour while she stared around in wonder and smiled every time her daddy would make a funny face at her.

                “I can’t wait until she starts laughing,” he confessed.

                I nodded. “I know. I have a feeling her laugh is going to be adorable.”

                That night, instead of putting her down in her bassinet, Ellie slept between us, cuddling up with both of us. We were a happy little family and neither Josh nor I would ever want that to change.


	44. Imagine If This Is All Really Happening, Part 3

                “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I mumbled to myself as I did my self-check in for my non-stop Delta flight to Cincinnati. I had just arrived at LaGuardia Airport straight from work and was now about to embark on a journey I never thought would happen; meeting Josh’s family in his hometown of Union, Kentucky.  _What has my life come to? How did I ever get to this point in my life where Josh Hutcherson even knows who I am and we’re hooking up on a regular basis?_ I was extremely nervous about this whole trip, but Josh insisted I come.

                  He was off for the rest of the summer before Catching Fire, but he was back in Kentucky for his little brother’s birthday this weekend. His mom told him to invite me out because she wanted to meet me, even though I was in no way his girlfriend.  _I am in way over my head._  My ticket printed and I grabbed it along with my small suitcase, heading over to security. Since I was only staying for two nights, I only packed a carry-on and luckily didn’t have to check my bag. Once I was through security, I made my way towards my gate and sat there nervously, biting the skin around my thumb nail.

                  I looked down at my ticket and saw my flight wasn’t due to board for another half hour. Josh had paid a substantial amount for this ticket, even though it had caused a massive argument between us. I would have taken the cheaper flight, but he wanted me to fly direct instead of stopping off in Washington D.C. He refused to give in and I finally gave up fighting with him. I sat back in my seat and took my phone out, scrolling through my email before deciding to call Josh to let him know I had made it to the airport.

                  “Hey you,” he answered happily.

                  “Hi. I’m at my gate,” I said.

                  “You sound nervous. Are you afraid of flying?” he teased.

                  I huffed. “No, I am not afraid of flying. You know perfectly well why I’m nervous and I’d appreciate it if you stopped teasing me about it.”

                  Josh chuckled softly. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to get you to lighten up a bit.”

                  “Well, don’t. Just let me sit here and freak out about this whole situation,” I said, sounding exasperated.

                  “Look, Olive, you need to relax. I’ve been trying to convince you that my parents are more than okay with what you and I are to each other, but I can only do so much,” he told me.

                  I sighed and rubbed my left temple with my free hand. “I know and I’m sorry I’m such a pain in the ass right now, but seriously put yourself in my shoes. Imagine being twenty-five years old and going to meet the family of the nineteen year old you’re hooking up with. It’s extremely stressful and intimidating.”

                  “I know, Olive. I promise you though, everything is going to be fine. My family will love you and accept you,” he swore.

                  “Okay,” I said finally. “So, how am I getting to your house exactly?”

                  “I’m picking you up from the airport,” he replied.

                  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Won’t there be photographers? Won’t people recognize you?” I asked.

                  “It’s fine. It’s Kentucky, there are never any photographers and if I get recognized, then I’ll handle it,” he told me.

                  “All right. I’ll see you soon then,” I said.

                  “I can’t wait. Have a good flight,” he murmured.

                  I smiled. “Thanks, Josh,” I replied and hung up. Ten minutes later, one of the Delta crew members made their way behind the desk and picked up the microphone.

                  “Good evening ladies and gentlemen. We are about to start boarding for Delta flight 2963 with non-stop service to Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky International Airport. At this time we would like to invite our priority members, our first class passengers, and passengers with disabilities to please make their way to the gate for boarding,” she spoke.

                  Josh had gotten me a first class plane ticket so I made my way to the queue and waited patiently for them to scan my ticket. I walked down through the hall and boarded the aircraft. My seat was an aisle one in the second row of the first class cabin so after putting my suitcase in the overhead compartment, I sat in my seat and pulled out my Kindle. Twenty minutes later, everyone had boarded and we pulled back from the terminal. I was forced to turn off my phone and Kindle as I watched the flight attendance perform their safety instructions routine.

                  After waiting for two planes in front of us, we went speeding down the runway before taking off into the evening sky. Once we were at altitude, we were given the go ahead to turn on our electronics. I was comfortable in my extended reclining seat and was glad for the free wifi. I checked my email again and made a post on Tumblr because I had never done so on a plane before.  _I’m Tumblring at thirty thousand feet. Welcome to the twenty first century._ I giggled to myself before putting my phone away and finishing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the millionth time. Less than two hours later, we began our decent into Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky International Airport.

                  We pulled up to gate B17 in Concourse B and I was thankfully one of the first people off of the plane. I wheeled my suitcase behind me as I followed the signs to Baggage Claim where I would be meeting Josh. I headed through the double doors and looked around before spotting him near the exit, his hat pulled low over his face. He had his phone in his hand that he was looking down at and he hadn’t seen me yet. I smiled and walked towards him, wanting to surprise him, but he looked up before I could get to him.

                  He smiled brightly. “How was your flight?” he asked, pulling me in for a hug.

                  “Good. Thank you for buying me my ticket,” I said into his shoulder.

                  “Anytime,” he whispered.  He pulled back and like a gentleman, took my suitcase from me. “I’ll take that.”

                  “Why thank you,” I replied.

                  Josh and I walked side by side out into the warm night and into the parking garage. He had parked on the top level so we took the elevator up. Being as it was kind of late, his car was the only one up there.

                  “Nice Audi,” I told him.

                  “Thanks. I’ve had it since I was sixteen. It’s fast and it gets me where I need to go,” he said, putting my suitcase in the trunk.

                  “So how far is your house from here?” I asked.

                  “Twenty minutes. We’ll be there in no time,” he answered, leading me to the passenger side door. My nerves twisted in my stomach and I swallowed hard.  _Shit, twenty minutes? I thought I’d at least have an hour to calm myself enough to meet his parents._  “What’s wrong, Olive? You look like you’re going to faint.”

                  “Oh, nothing. Just going to meet your parents in twenty minutes. A very quick twenty minutes,” I said, giving a small laugh.

                  Josh sighed and hugged me again. “Relax,” he whispered.

                  “Relax. Yeah, okay,” I said sarcastically.

                  Josh leaned down and captured my lips with his. “If you want, I can make you relax,” he whispered, making me shiver.

                  “How do you propose to do that?” I asked.

                  Josh moved away and opened the door to the back seat. “Get in,” he told me. My nerves grew to excitement and I quickly climbed in the back seat. He followed and shut the door. “I love that you’re wearing a skirt. Your legs are so sexy, not to mention, I love the easy access it gives me.” He moved closer to me and slid his hand up my thigh, placing wet kisses on my neck. He stroked me over my thong and I whimpered, fisting his t-shirt in my hand.

                  “How much time do we have?” I asked breathlessly.

                  “Probably ten minutes,” he whispered.

                  “We better get to it then,” I said. I moved away and pulled my skirt up, shimmying my underwear down. It was extremely difficult because the backseat wasn’t big at all.

                  “Let me help,” Josh insisted. He helped me pull them down my legs and I unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He lifted his hips up and pulled his jeans and boxers down enough to free his erection. “Sit on me, baby,” he said huskily.

                  Just the sight of him, hard and ready for me, got me worked up and I got up on my knees, effectively smashing the top of my head into the roof of the car.

                  “Mother fucker! God dammit!” I shouted, holding the top of my head.

                  “Shit! Olive, you okay?” Josh asked, swiftly pulling my hands away from my head to see if I was bleeding.

                  “Ugh, I think I just gave myself a concussion,” I pouted, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on.

                  “You hit your head pretty hard. Let’s go back to the house and get you some Advil and an icepack,” he insisted, about to pull his jeans up.

                  “No! I’m fine,” I insisted. “Really. Sure I have a bit of a headache, but sex always makes it better!”

                  Josh sighed and looked at me for a second before nodding in consent. “Okay, but if you start feeling dizzy or off or anything, you let me know.”

                  “Yes, sir,” I purred, this time carefully climbing on top of him and straddling his hips. I grinded myself against his erection and he moaned, placing his hands on my hips.

                  “Don’t tease me, baby. I want you so bad,” he whispered.

                  I kissed him hard, caressing his tongue with mine before sinking down on him. Both of us moaned loudly and his hands squeezed my hips even harder. I pulled away from his mouth gasping when he was all the way in. It felt incredible and my whole body was shaking.

                  “Ride me, baby,” he begged. Josh guided my hips up and down as I cried out with every thrust. I positioned myself so he was at the perfect angle and I grasped his shoulders hard. My skirt was most definitely getting wrinkled being bunched up around my waist, but I could care less.

                  “Shit, I’m close,” I panted, working my way to orgasm. I really wanted it to last, but since we were on a tight schedule, we’d have to settle for a quicky.

                  “Give it to me, Olive. I want to feel it,” he gasped, pulling my head down for a deep kiss. I cried out into his mouth as I slammed my hips down against him, letting my orgasm overtake me. My body shook and Josh moved us quickly so I was on my back and he was hovering over me, half of his body uncomfortably wedged on the floor between the passenger seat and back seat. It didn’t stop him though as he thrusted as hard as he could into me, his hands grabbing the leather seats as he groaned my name and let go, collapsing on top of me.

                  Both of us were out of breath and panting heavily. I looked up and saw all the windows were fogged and I laughed lightly.

                  “What?” Josh asked.

                  “Nothing. I just kind of want to reach up right now and slam my hand against the window like in Titanic,” I said breathlessly.

                  Josh looked up at the windows and laughed as well. “Maybe next time before we finish,” he said. Josh slowly pulled out and tried to get himself out of the wedge he was in.

                  I moved to sit up and pretty much left the first two layers of the skin on my backside on his seat. Apparently from all the sweating, I had stuck to it. “The fuck!” I exclaimed.

                  “People think car sex is so hot and glamorous. It’s the exact opposite,” he complained, struggling to get onto the seat. Once he did, he redid his pants back up and handed me my thong back. I squirmed around, putting them back on and tried to fix my helplessly wrinkled skirt.

                  “At least you got me to relax as promised,” I said.

                  Josh smiled. “Mission accomplished then. How’s your head?” he asked.

                  “Still have a bit of a headache. Nothing some Advil won’t fix,” I said. We got out of the backseat and got in the front, rolling down the windows a bit to get some air in and unfog them. Once we were clear, Josh drove down the levels of the garage and out onto Route 275.

                  I pulled down the visor down and looked at myself in the mirror. “Jesus, I look like a hot mess,” I commented.

                  Josh smiled. “You look freshly fucked, Olive. I’m pretty proud of myself for making you look like that,” he said.

                  I rolled my eyes and grabbed my hairbrush and makeup from my purse. Once I was all fixed up, I felt better. Less than twenty minutes later, we were pulling up to his house which looked exactly like it did when I saw it on MTV Cribs, except even bigger.

                  “Man your house is massive,” I said.

                  “Thanks,” he laughed, getting out of the car. He came around and opened the passenger door for me, helping me out before getting my suitcase from the trunk. I took a deep breath and steeled myself for seeing his parents. Josh grabbed my hand and squeezed reassuringly. “Ready?” he asked.

                  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I mumbled.

                  “Don’t worry, they’re going to love you,” he said.

                  I nodded and we walked hand in hand to his front door. Josh opened the door and we walked into the massive foyer. All the lights were on and we heard laughter coming from down the hall. Josh pulled my bag behind us and led us into the beautiful kitchen. His parents and brother were sitting at the table with who I could assume were his Aunt and Grandmother.

                  “Oh, you’re back!” his mom exclaimed, looking over at us.

                  I smiled shyly as everyone looked over at us. “Guys, this is Olive. Olive, this is my family,” he said, leaving my bag near the entryway and taking me over to the table. He introduced me individually to everyone and they were all extremely nice.

                  “Well, sit down you two and have a drink with us!” his aunt exclaimed. Josh pulled out two chairs next to each other and we sat side by side. Josh cracked open a can of PBR and his mom poured me a margarita from the pitcher she had made.

                  For the next two hours, they asked me questions about my life which I happily answered and they all made me feel at ease. Josh’s roommate, Andre, who had been asleep in the guest room upstairs since he wasn’t feeling well, came down to join us for a little and say hi before heading back up to bed to sleep off the cold he had. I myself was feeling a bit tired and woozy from my head injury earlier. The alcohol definitely was not helping my case.

                  “You ready for bed?” Josh asked me quietly.

                  I nodded and we said goodnight to everyone before grabbing my things and heading down into the basement. “I want to shower before I get into your nice clean bed,” I slurred.

                  Josh chuckled and held me close. “Mind if I join you?” he asked.

                  “Not at all,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to his neck. Josh smiled and led me into his personal bathroom after I had grabbed my toiletries. He started up the shower while watching me strip down. Once the water was the perfect temperature, he quickly undressed as well and we both got in under the hot stream. “Mmmmm feels so good,” I hummed in pleasure, dipping my head back to get my hair wet. Josh started at me, his mouth open as he watched.

                  “You’re so hot,” he blurted out.

                  I laughed lightly. “Close your mouth, you’re catching flies,” I teased. Josh closed his mouth and swallowed hard.

                  “Fuck this,” he mumbled. He grabbed me and slammed me up against the cold tile, making me gasp. His tongue plunged into my mouth and his right hand palmed my breast roughly. I moaned against his lips and pulled his hips against me so his erection was rubbing against my stomach. Josh quickly pulled away and dropped down to his knees in front of me. I looked down at him, my chest heaving as he lifted up my left leg placing it over his shoulder and opening me to him.

                  “Oh, God,” I whispered at the intensity in his gaze.

                  He bit my inner thigh, not enough to hurt, but enough to get a reaction out of me. “It’s Josh, Olive. Not God,” he said before thrusting his tongue into me.

                  “JOSH!” I cried out his name, my fingers slipping along the wet wall as I tried to find something to hold on to. I finally settled them in Josh’s hair. Josh was going down on me in earnestly, grasping my hips and pulling me closer to his face so I was practically sitting on him. His tongue was doing things to me that made my entire body tingle and shake.

                  “Come on, baby. Lose control,” he whispered when he pulled away from a second. He started up again, this time holding nothing back and I shamelessly grinded myself on his wet tongue, hitting just the right spot.

                  “Fuck, keep going. Keep going!” I shouted, my muscles spasming violently as I came hard, slumping forward against the shower door, Josh gently kissed my inner thighs, trying to calm me down. I moved back so he could stand up and he held me close while I recovered.

                  “So good,” I whispered against his skin.

                  “I want to feel you come like that when I’m inside you,” he admitted, rubbing his hands up and down my back.

                  “What are you waiting for, then?” I challenged.

                  Josh’s eyes turned dark and he quickly turned the shower off. He practically dragged me out of the bathroom and pushed me down sideways on his bed while he hovered over me. We were both still soaking wet, but neither one of us seemed to care. We made out furiously, moaning loudly against each other’s lips as he plunged into me with one hard thrust.

                  “Ugh so much better than the car. You feel incredible,” he groaned, slamming his hips repeatedly against mine.

                  I arched my back, spreading my legs wider to take him in deeper. My hands grabbed at every part of him I could reach as he pounded into me, murmuring dirty words in my ear to turn me on even more. He placed his feet on the floor to give himself more leverage and lifted my legs up higher. My moans became high pitched and my orgasm hit me like a freight train, making me throw my head back and clench tightly around him.

                  “That’s it, Olive. Keep going,” he encouraged. As I was coming down from my high, Josh let go, gasping my name and collapsing against me, his face buried in my neck. “Fuck. So good. Always so good,” he breathed.

                  I ran my fingers through his hair and hummed in agreement. “I hope your parents didn’t hear us,” I mused.

                  Josh shook his head against me. “No. They definitely didn’t. We’re in the basement, nowhere near where they are,” he assured me.

                  “Good, because I’m pretty sure I wasn’t quiet,” I said.

                  Josh laughed. “No, you most certainly weren’t, but that’s fine with me. I love hearing you.”

                  He kissed me softly and gently pulled out, making me shudder from how sensitive I was. He helped me up and pulled the covers back at the top of the bed and we climbed in.

                  “Dammit, I didn’t even wash my hair or anything!” I complained.

                  “It’s fine. We can really shower tomorrow morning. I know you’re exhausted and I’m sure your head injury still isn’t one hundred percent, so let’s just cuddle and get some sleep,” he said with a yawn.

                  I nodded, my head giving a slight twinge at the movement and my eyes started to droop. “Sleep sounds amazing,” I slurred.

                  “Agreed. Sleep, Olive. We’ll have all day tomorrow,” he whispered, kissing my temple and wrapping his arms around me.

                  I drifted off in his arms, warm and comfortable.  _Josh was right; coming out here wasn’t such a bad idea after all._


	45. Imagine If This Is All Really Happening, Part 3 CONTINUED

                  I was abruptly awoken by what sounded like a chainsaw being turned on directly in my ear. To say it scared the shit out of me was an understatement. Once I regained my bearings, I looked around the dark room and realized it wasn’t a chainsaw, it was Josh and he was snoring.

                  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I grumbled. My head was pounding and every loud snore from Josh’s mouth was more and more painful. I was completely tangled up in the sheets and tried to kick myself free. Unfortunately, Josh’s bed was a small full and I was right on the edge. I kicked my left foot free and it sent me toppling to the floor, landing on my back on his cream colored carpet “OOF!” came out my mouth as I made contact, pulling the sheets off with me.

                  Josh’s snoring stuttered a bit before coming to a stop. “Olive? You okay?” he asked groggily, moving so he was looking over the edge of the bed. He looked so adorable and sleepy, but that still didn’t override the fact that his snoring sounded like a construction site. “What are you doing on the floor?”

                  “I fell out of bed,” I said, rolling my eyes.

                  Josh frowned and climbed down to me, completely naked since I had all the covers. “You hurt?” he asked, checking me over.

                  “No, your carpet is very soft,” I commented.

                  “How’s your head?” he asked, placing a soft kiss on my temple.

                  “I feel like I got hit by an eighteen wheeler,” I admitted. “Your snoring definitely didn’t help,” I added.

                  “Snoring?” he asked.

                  “Are you kidding me? I’m surprised you haven’t woken yourself up!” I exclaimed.

                  “I’m sorry. I swear I had no idea I was snoring. You know I have a deviated septum and it’ll be fixed in a few days so next time you visit, no snoring,” he promised.

                  “I hope so. For now, I’ll just have to keep rolling you over. You may even fall out of bed like me,” I said.

                  Josh laughed. “You’re such a klutz. It’s adorable,” he said affectionately.

                  “Yeah, every time I walk into a door or a wall, it’s adorable,” I said sarcastically. “These bruises, my God, I can’t handle how adorable they look all over my arms and legs!”

                  “Oh, stop. You look prefect, bruises or no bruises,” he assured me.

                  “And you look horny,” I said, pointing to his erection.

                  He looked down and even though it was dark in the room, I could see his cheeks heat up. “Well I was sleeping. I can’t help it.”

                  I laughed and gave him a quick kiss. “I know. Now, help me up, please?” I asked. Josh stood up and grabbed my hands before pulling me to my feet, letting the sheets slide from my body. Getting up that fast with a headache gave me a massive head rush and I sat myself down on the bed, holding my head in my hands.

                  “You okay? Do you want me to get you some Advil or something?” Josh asked, running his fingers through my messy hair.

                  “Yes please,” I groaned, laying back down and curling into a ball. Josh grabbed the comforter and sheets off the floor and covered them with me before disappearing into the bathroom. Less than a minute later, he reappeared with two Advil and a small Dixie cup of water. He pulled me into a sitting position so I could take them before laying back down. “Thank you,” I whispered.

                  “No problem,” he replied, kissing the tip of my nose. He climbed back in the bed behind me and held me close, so that my face was against his chest and his fingers were gently massaging the back of my neck. I sighed in content and let my eyes close. “Is this helping?” he asked.

                  “Hm?”

                  “Me rubbing the back of your neck,” he replied.

                  “Yes. It feels so good,” I murmured.

                  “Good. I promise I won’t stop until you fall asleep,” he whispered.

                  I hummed in response and let myself drift back off in his arms. The next time my eyes opened, daylight was pouring into his bedroom, making his red walls look like they were on fire. Josh had just woken up as well, staring at me bleary eyed.

                  “Morning,” he croaked.

                  “Morning,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to his chest. He wrapped his arms tighter around me and I could feel him stretch.

                  “No more snoring?” he asked.

                  “Not that I heard. I was out cold though, so you could have been,” I said. “What time is it?”

                  Josh lifted his head up off his pillow and looked over my shoulder at the alarm clock. “Nine fifteen,” he answered.

                  “What time is your family coming over?”

                  “I think two o’clock. It’s going to be a lovely Cinco De Mayo slash Connor’s sixteenth birthday party,” he said.

                  “Good. You mom makes awesome margaritas,” I commented.

                  Josh laughed. “I could tell by the way you were sucking them down last night. See, it wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked.

                  “Well, today will be the real test since like all of your friends and family will be here to judge me,” I replied.

                  “No one is going to judge you, Olive. I promise,” he swore.

                  “I’m glad Andre is here at least. That’ll give me someone to talk to and drink with while you catch up with everyone,” I mused.

                  “You don’t want to catch up with them with me?” he asked with a pout.

                  I laughed. “Josh, I’m not your girlfriend and I’ve never met these people before in my life. You should catch up with them since who knows the next time you’ll be out here. Probably Fourth of July,” I replied.

                  “Yeah, probably,” he agreed.

                  “Okay, well I’m going to go take a real shower since when I went to take one last night, you wound up going down on me and then dragged me out to fuck my brains out,” I stated.

                  Josh smiled proudly. “I most certainly did! May I join you again? I can’t promise what happened last night won’t happen again, though.”

                  I rolled my eyes. “No, you may not. I need to wash my hair without distractions.”

                  “You’re no fun,” Josh said, sticking his tongue out at me.

                  I giggled and got out of bed, going into his bathroom. My head was still a bit sore, but the Advil had definitely helped. I shut the door and jumped into his shower, turning the hot water up. I quickly washed myself and go out, looking around for a towel. “Hey, Josh?” I called.

                  “Yeah?” he called back.

                  “I seem to have forgotten to ask you for a towel,” I said.

                  Josh laughed and I heard his footsteps outside the door before he opened it. He looked me up and down for a few seconds before walking over to a small linen closet in the corner, taking a blue towel out of it for me. “Here you are,” he said.

                  “Well, I could have grabbed that,” I said. “You didn’t have to get up.” I took the towel from him and wrapped it around myself.

                  “It’s fine. I’m going to get in anyway,” he said, turning the water back on and stepping in. “You can stay and do what you need to do to get ready.”

                  “Thanks,” I smiled. It took Josh and I a half hour to get ready before we headed upstairs. His parents, brother, and Andre were awake in the kitchen. His parents were drinking coffee, reading the paper and Connor and Andre were having a glass of Orange juice.

                  “Good morning!” his mom exclaimed happily.

                  “Good morning,” Josh and I said to all of them.

                  “So what’s for breakfast?” Josh asked. “I’m starving.”

                  “We were thinking the five of us could go to the Waffle House,” his dad suggested.

                  “What’s the Waffle House?” I asked. “Is it like IHOP, but instead of pancakes, it’s waffles?”

                  Josh chuckled. “Sort of. I guess the closest thing you can compare it to is a diner.”

                  “I like diners. Waffle House sounds perfect,” I said.

                  “Great!” his mom said.

                  “You two sleep well?” Andre asked, winking at us.

                  “Like a baby, until Josh here started snoring like a jackhammer,” I said.

                  Connor laughed. “Man, am I glad my room is nowhere near his!”

                  “This whole not being able to breathe out of my right nostril is causing serious issues,” Josh complained.

                  “Well, in a few days, you won’t need to worry about it anymore,“ Michelle said.

                  “All right, let’s go get some breakfast. We have people coming over this afternoon and we still need to set everything up,” Chris told us. We walked out of the house into the muggy morning. The sky was filled with dark clouds and it looked like it was about to downpour any second.

                  “Is it supposed to rain?” I asked.

                  “Yes. It’s going to thunderstorm pretty much the entire day,” Michelle replied.

                  “It’s fine, though. We have a massive tent set up on the deck over the grill, so we’ll still be barbequing,” Chris assured us. Josh, Andre, and I went in Josh’s car while Michelle, Chris, and Connor went in the other. The Waffle House was only five minutes down the road and there was one booth left which we were seated in immediately. A few people came up to the table to say hi to Josh and welcome him home, but other than that we were left alone.

                  Conversation was easy as we chowed down on our delicious breakfast. I had the single waffle with sausage and Josh had the Ribeye and eggs. I noticed his mom staring at Josh and I out of the corner of my eye when I gave him a bite of my waffle and he gave me a bite of his steak and eggs. I didn’t find this weird since my friends and I shared food all the time, but I guess it looked a little affectionate. I shook it off and finished my meal.

                  When we were all finished eating, Josh insisted on paying for everyone and when we walked outside, rain was pouring down from the sky. We all made a run for the cars, even though we got soaked in the process. We arrived back at the Hutcherson’s and changed into dry clothes. The men went to hang decorations and set up tables and chairs for everyone while I helped Michelle in the kitchen, getting the food ready for the grill as well as the pickings.

                  “So, Josh tells me he met you through Andre’s friend in New York and then you spent a lot of time together when you went out to LA,” his mom said.

                  I nodded. “Yeah. We got to talking and just clicked. Your son is great,” I told her.

                  “But you’re not dating?” she asked.

                  I shook my head. “I live in New York and I’m not planning on moving anytime soon. We’re just having fun. We’re both so busy, it’s kind of hard to be anything more than friends.”

                  “The way you two are with each other and the fact that you’re sharing a bed, I think we both know you’re more than friends,” she said, giving me a knowing look.

                  I bit my lip. “Maybe a little, but I don’t see what we are now going any further any time soon,” I admitted.

                  “Well it’s both of your lives, so you do what you have to do. I just want to thank you though for putting a smile on my son’s face. I know he’s usually always smiling, but now his eyes really light up,” she told me.

                   _That’s because he’s getting laid._ “You’re welcome,” I whispered.

                  “Okay, no more questions about your relationship with my son because I promised Josh. Let’s talk about you,” she said, changing the subject.

                  For the next half hour, Michelle and I talked and laughed as we shared stories with each other. She was telling me a lot of funny and embarrassing stories about Josh that had me cracking up.

                  “What’s so funny?” Josh asked, coming into the kitchen and stealing a piece of cheese off one of the plates.

                  Michelle smacked his hand. “Go wash your hands before you touch the food!” she scolded.

                  He rolled his eyes and I giggled. “Your mom’s been telling me embarrassing stories about your childhood,” I told him.

                  “Jesus. Thanks, mom,” he said sarcastically.

                  “Oh cut it out! You were so adorable,” she said.

                  “Seriously, Josh. You were such a cute kid. What happened?” I teased.

                  “I hit puberty and became sexy,” he replied smartly. His mom and I started laughing and he pouted. “Don’t laugh at me!”

                  Andre came into the kitchen, limping and grimacing with each step. “What the hell happened to you?” Michelle asked.

                  “Dropped the damn gas tank for the grill on my foot,” he groaned, sitting down on one of the kitchen chairs.

                  “Man, this weekend is getting to be very dangerous. First you practically knock yourself out and now Andre is a cripple. I hope I’m not next!” Josh exclaimed.

                  “What do you mean Olive knocked herself out? What happened?” Michelle asked with concern.

                  I looked up at Josh with an evil smile, excited to see how he was going to talk his way out of this one. “Well, she was getting into my car at the airport last night and bashed her head against the door. She’s a bit of a klutz. Just this morning, she fell out of bed,” he explained, smirking at me. I glared at him.

                  “Are you okay, Olive?” she questioned.

                  “I’m fine. I took some Advil,” I said.

                  Michelle fussed over Andre, making him ice his foot and take painkillers. At two o’clock, the guests started to arrive. Josh walked around the room with me, introducing him to his close friends and family. Everyone was extremely nice and went out of their way to make conversation with me. The party was fantastic and Michelle had made delicious Margaritas and Sangria to celebrate the fact that it was Cinco De Mayo. Josh and I chatted with his cousins, brother, and Andre as we ate some delicious Kentucky barbeque that Josh had helped grill.

                  “You should cook for me more often,” I murmured in his ear.

                  Josh laughed. “In two weeks, when you come back out to LA,” he said.

                  “I’ll hold you to it. You made a fantastic steak the first night we met, I want to see what else you can cook.”

                  “It’s a date,” he said, smiling at me. The rest of the night was spent with Josh’s friends telling me more embarrassing Josh stories while he sat there and turned bright red, shaking his head. I was feeling a little tipsy by eleven o’clock and the crowd had dwindled down significantly.

                  “Are we still going to watch SNL in your movie theater?” I asked.

                  “We sure are. I know how much you love Eli Manning,” he teased.

                  I rolled my eyes. “I do not love Eli Manning. I’m a Giants fan so I obviously like him, but you know very well that my sports crush is Mark Teixeira.”

                  “Ah yes, your first baseman Yankee,” he mused.

                  “You’re just jealous because the Yankees have won twenty-seven World Championships and your Cincinnati Reds have only won five,” I pointed out, sticking my tongue out at him.

                  “Rub it in, Olive,” he sighed.

                  At eleven twenty-nine, Josh and I were in our pajamas, in his small movie theater near his room in the basement. Instead of movie seats though, there were comfy, brown, leather recliners. Even though it was a bit of a squeeze, Josh and I shared the left recliner in the front while Andre took the right, icing his injured foot yet again. We cuddled and giggled watching Saturday Night Live together before we headed off to bed once it was over. Andre hobbled upstairs to the guest room after saying goodnight as Josh and I went into his room.

                  “I can’t believe I have to leave tomorrow night,” I said sadly.

                  “You and me both. I have to go back to LA for my pre-Op appointment and things like that,” he said with a yawn.

                  I wrapped my arms around his middle and he hugged me tightly. “Thank you for convincing me to come here this weekend. I had an amazing time and I really love your family.”

                  “Thank you for coming, Olive. Seriously, I’m glad I got to see you before you come to LA in two weeks,” he said, leaning down and giving me a kiss.

                  “I can’t wait for you to cook me dinner when I get there,” I whispered.

                  Josh laughed. “Anything for you, Olive.”

                  The weekend had been extremely successful and I was glad I got to see Josh relaxed in his own element where he was comfortable. Not a bad first time to Kentucky!


	46. The Honeymoon Is Over

              A loud crash of thunder jolted me awake and I sat up in bed, looking around the dark room. I rubbed my tired eyes and looked over to Josh’s side of the bed; it was empty. I sighed and laid back down, my anger starting to return to me. We had been married now for six months and the honeymoon was officially over. Everything had been going great for us until a few hours ago when we had our first fight. Sure, we’d had plenty of fights in the past, but this was our first fight as a married couple. Josh had been on set all day and I had told him that I was planning something special for us that night. He said he would be home at seven and he couldn’t wait.

                I’d spent all day grocery shopping and cooking, making a delicious meal for us to enjoy together. It was our sixth month wedding anniversary and I knew it wasn’t as big of a deal as a year would be, but I still wanted it to be special and romantic. Seven o’clock had come and gone as I sat at the kitchen table in my little black dress I knew he loved with my “come fuck me” heels. The food was definitely cold and the candles had burned down to little stubs. Josh hadn’t called and every time I called him, it went straight to voicemail. I’d even called Avan and Andre to see if they’d heard from him with no luck at all. I was seriously starting to get worried.

                 _What if something horrible happened to him? What if he was in an accident?_ I blew out the candles and packed up all the food with shaking hands. It was almost eleven thirty and I was so panicked, about to call the cops when I saw two car headlights light up our front windows as a car pulled into the driveway.  _I hope it’s not the police about to give me bad news._ My breathing was shallow and I was rooted to the spot with fear. I heard heavy footsteps coming towards the door as the car pulled out of the driveway, back onto the road. Keys were being fumbled before going into the lock and the door opened, revealing Josh.

                I breathed a sigh of relief that he was alive as he came into the house, shutting the door behind him and dragging his feet. “Thank God you’re home! Are you all right? Where is your car?” I asked, throwing myself into his arms. He stumbled a bit, but held me tight.

                “Hey, baby,” he slurred.

                I pulled back slightly to look up at him. His eyes were glassy and he had a stupid smile on his face. “Are you drunk?” I asked.

                “Nope!” he exclaimed. He leaned down and gave me a sloppy kiss that tasted like whisky. I huffed and pushed him away. “You’re wearing my favorite dress, sweetheart. You look so sexy. Did you wear that all for me?” he asked.

                I was pissed. “Joshua Ryan Hutcherson! You are shit-faced drunk and don’t you dare lie about it again! I’ve been here all night, cooking a delicious meal for us and you promised to be home at seven! It’s eleven thirty and I have not received one phone call from you. Where the  _fuck_  have you been!” I shouted.

            Josh stumbled back a little and hiccupped. “I just went out for a quick drink with my co-stars,” he said.

            “A quick drink?! Are you kidding me right now? You didn’t call me at all and every time I tried to call you, it went straight to voicemail!” I exclaimed.

            “My phone is dead and I lost track of time. I’m home now and I’m fine. I’m not hurt,” he told me.

            “Oh, not yet you’re not! You knew I was making us a nice dinner and you picked going out with your co-stars over coming home to your wife with whom you had a date planned? Fuck you, asshole!” I screamed, storming towards our bedroom.

            “Come on, Olive. Don’t be like that! It was an honest mistake. Let’s kiss and make up and have some dinner. They had no food at the bar so I’m pretty hungry,” he slurred, following me down the hall and zigzagging in his drunken stupor.

            Now, I was beyond livid. “Oh, they didn’t have any food at the bar, huh? You’re hungry?” I asked, stopping in front of our bedroom door and turning around to face him. He stalled in front of me, staring down at my breasts that were pushed up from my tight dress.

            “I think I’ll have you first and then the food,” he whispered.

            I completely lost it, slapping him as hard as I could across the face. He fell backwards into the wall across the hall. “EAT SHIT!” I screamed, slamming the bedroom door as hard as I could and locking it. I kicked my shoes off angrily and stormed into my walk in closet, throwing the light on.

            Josh started to knock on our bedroom door and jiggle the handle. “Olive? Baby, the door’s locked,” he said.

            I rolled my eyes and stripped my dress off, hanging it back up before putting my pajamas on. I went into the bathroom and scrubbed my face and brushed my teeth before going back out into the bedroom.

            Josh was still knocking. “Come on, honey. I’m really sorry about tonight. Just let me in. I promise I’ll make it worth your while,” he bargained, drunkenly.

            “I’d rather jump in a pit of snakes than have you touch me right now,” I spat out nastily.

            Josh sighed and I heard his head thump against the door. “At least let me in to go to sleep?” he asked.

            “Go sleep on the fucking driveway for all I care!” I shouted, getting into bed and turning the light out.

            I heard Josh slide down the door and groan. I completely ignored his pleas and turned on my side, letting my eyes close. Eventually, I fell asleep. Fast forward a few hours later where a massive thunderstorm was going on outside, shaking the entire house. Rain was splattering loudly against the windows and lightening was striking every few seconds, lighting the room up. The thunder was crashing, making me jump and pull the covers around myself tighter.

            I was in no way afraid of thunderstorms. I knew I was safe and there was nothing out there to get me whilst I was lying in bed, but I had never been a fan of loud noises. It was the reason why we never had balloons at any parties thrown in our house; because I was absolutely terrified of them popping. I guess I just had very sensitive ears. The booming thunder was certainly not helping my cause. Usually whenever we would have a thunderstorm during the night, I would curl up into Josh’s arms and concentrate on the sound of his breathing and heartbeat to drown out the noise.

            Tonight, I was shit out of luck.  _Can we still cuddle, even though I’m still extremely pissed off at him?_  I threw the covers off and padded to the bedroom door, unlocking it and opening it. I looked down and saw Josh, fast asleep on the floor on his side. I sighed and stepped over him before sucking it up and lying down next to him so I was facing him. His mouth was slightly open and his breathing was deep and even. I moved closer to him and lightly pressed my cheek against his chest, inhaling.

            He still smelled like whisky, but his cologne and his natural scent were also mixed in there. I hummed quietly and held myself a little closer to him. Josh stirred and I cringed, hoping he wouldn’t wake up. Just like before, I was shit out of luck. “Olive?” he asked sleepily. His eyes slowly opened and he looked down at me. “What’s wrong, baby?” Another loud crash of thunder shook the house and I jumped, grimacing at the noise. Josh gave me a knowing look and pulled me into him, holding me tightly.

            “This doesn’t mean you’re forgiven, you know,” I mumbled against his chest.

            “I know,” he whispered. He took my face in his hands, tilting my head up so he could look at me. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I am the biggest prick on the face of the earth and I promise, I will make it up to you.”

            “You’re right. You are the biggest prick on the face of the earth,” I agreed, completely ignoring everything else he’d said.

            “I really am sorry. I feel so horrible. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you, yet I’ve succeeded in doing the exact opposite,” he said sadly.

            “I just want to know, what the hell was going through your mind? Why did you think it was a good idea to even go out for drinks when you knew we had plans? Josh, you know I don’t care if you want to go out with your co-stars after a long day of shooting. Trust me, I go out with my co-workers for happy hour all the time. The thing about this situation that completely baffles my mind is that you came home four and a half hours late without even calling once and your phone went straight to voicemail. I thought you were hurt or had gotten into an accident,” I explained.

            Josh looked completely guilty. “I know, Olive. Honestly, we finished a little early at around five, so I figured I’d go out for one drink with them, stay an hour at most, and then head home and have an amazing night with you. What I didn’t count on was everyone basically buying me shots in celebration for being married for six months. The next thing I know, I’m well over my limit and my phone is completely dead. I left my car at the bar and Ryan gave me a ride home,” he said. “I had even bought flowers and a bottle of our favorite Champagne. They’re still in my car. The flowers will probably be dead by now, though.”

            “If you’re trying to make me feel sorry for you that your co-stars got you drunk, it’s not working,” I told him.

            Josh smiled slightly. “I’m just saying that I know I fucked up. I made a huge mistake and I know that you have every right to be pissed at me. I  _will_ make it up to you though, Olive. You’re my wife and I love you with all my heart.”

            “I’m still pissed at you, but I love you too,” I whispered. Josh chuckled and kissed me softly. I cringed and pushed him away. “Your mouth tastes like a fucking dumpster,” I complained.

            Josh groaned. “That would be the Jack Daniels,” he mumbled. “Come on, let’s get off the floor and get into bed, unless you’d rather have me sleep in the fucking driveway?” he suggested, repeating my words from earlier.

            I grinned. “I would make you sleep out there if there weren’t any lightening. I may want to kill you at times, but I certainly don’t want you dead.”

            Josh laughed and sat up. His laughter turned into groaning and he held his head in his hands. “Fuck, my head is pounding.”

            “Good. I hope you get the worst possible hangover ever,” I said, without any sympathy in my voice.

            Josh pouted. “You’re so mean.”

            “And you’re a prick,” I reminded him. I stood up and watched him slowly get to his feet with a lot of difficulty.

            “Touché,” he said. “You’re enjoying watching me struggle, aren’t you?”

            “More than you know,” I replied, smiling. We went into the bedroom and I made Josh brush his teeth and take off his disgusting clothes that smelled like booze before climbing into our nice clean sheets. I let him hold me close as I pressed my ear against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and steady breath.

            “I love you so much, Olive. I’m so glad I married you six months ago. It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry for my actions tonight and I know I’m going to fuck up a lot more over the course of the rest of our life together, but just know that I’ll always love you no matter what.”

            “I love you, too, Josh. You’re the best husband a woman could ever ask for, even though you can be an idiot at times. When you fuck up, I’ll be there to be pissed off at you and make you sleep on the couch or in the driveway, but I’ll never stop loving you,” I admitted.

            “That’s all I ask,” he said, kissing my forehead softly. 


	47. The Honeymoon Is Over, Part 2

                It had been two weeks since Josh and I had sex. After his major screw up by stumbling in the door drunk and four and a half hours late on our sixth month wedding anniversary without even calling, I decided withholding sexy time from him was a substantial enough punishment. I only let him get away with chaste kisses here and there which left him completely frustrated and whiney. At the time, I thought it was a fantastic idea. Now? Not so much. What I didn’t realize was that by withholding sex from my husband, I was also withholding it from myself.

                That alone caused me to spiral into Bitch Town. It seemed that everything Josh did, whether it was laugh or breathe, annoyed the crap out of me. I would snap at him and he would snap back until we were just glaring at each other. At night, he would try to cop a feel, but since I was still pissed at him for his drunken night, I would throw his hands back at him and turn on my side, facing away from him.

                “Jesus Christ, Olive. I know I messed up, but can’t I at least touch you?” he asked exasperated.

                “When you deserve it again,” I said simply. Josh sighed and I felt him get out of bed. “Where are you going?”

                “I’m going to go sleep on the couch. It’s killing me to be in the same bed as you and have you reject me over and over,” he replied, grabbing his pillow.

                I sat up and glared at him. “Josh, you hurt me and you’ve done nothing to make what you did right except apologize. Sex is not a form of penance,” I growled.

                “Whatever. I don’t have time to play games,” he mumbled, heading towards the door.

                “You did this to yourself, Josh. Don’t be pissed at me,” I said.

                He didn’t reply, just slammed the bedroom door behind him when he left. I huffed and laid back down, pulling the covers up around me.  _If he wants to sleep on the couch then, fine. Let him. Stupid jerk._ I swiped the angry tears away that were rolling down my cheeks and closed my eyes. For the next few hours, I miserably tossed and turned. My mind would not stop racing and I couldn’t get comfortable no matter what I did. Eventually, I gave up and threw the covers off of me, leaving the bedroom and going to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

                On my way, I passed the living room and saw Josh lying on the couch, the TV on and his back towards me. I couldn’t tell if he was asleep or not, but he made no move to show that he’d heard me as I passed by. I went into the kitchen, opening the cabinet above the sink to grab a glass before going to the fridge and pouring myself a glass of water from the spout in the front. I put the glass to my lips and took a sip, letting the cool liquid slide down my throat.

                “Hey,” Josh whispered from the entrance behind me, completely startling me. I let out a scream and the glass slipped from my hand, shattering loudly all over the floor. The glass went everywhere and since I was wearing shorts, some shards had bounced up and I grimaced as they sliced into my shins and calves. “Shit! Honey, I didn’t mean to scare you! Don’t move. I’ll go get some shoes and get you out of there,” he said, hurrying off in the direction of our bedroom.

                I stood in the kitchen, holding my hand over my racing heart and trying to calm my breathing down. Josh returned moments later wearing a pair of sneakers and he turned the kitchen light on. My eyes quickly adjusted to the sudden brightness and I looked down at the disaster. There was water and glass all over the floor and blood running down my legs. “Shit,” I cursed. Josh slowly walked into the kitchen; the glass crunching under each of his carefully placed steps.

                When he reached me, he scooped me up into his arms and carried me over to the kitchen table sitting me down on the surface. “Sweetheart, you’re hurt,” he said sadly, lifting my right leg up to examine the small, bleeding cuts.

                “It’s fine. Can you get me some shoes so I can clean up the mess?” I asked.

                Josh shook his head. “I’ll clean it up, but first, let’s get  _you_  cleaned up,” he replied. He picked me up again and walked out of the kitchen, leaving his shoes at the entrance so he wouldn’t trek glass all over the house. He took me into our bathroom and sat me on the counter, turning the light on and getting the peroxide and Band Aids out of the medicine cabinet. For the next few minutes, Josh cleaned and dressed my cuts, kissing each one tenderly when he was done. “All better,” he whispered, looking up at me.

                I pulled his face up and kissed him. It was the first real kiss we’d had since our big fight two weeks ago and it felt nice. Josh moaned softly and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. I broke away from his lips to take a much-needed breath, but Josh’s lips did not leave my skin. He planted wet, heated kisses up and down my neck and across my collarbone. After so long without his touch, I was a whimpering mess within seconds, pressing myself hard against him. “Don’t stop,” I whispered, running my fingers through his hair.

            Josh froze before quickly pulling back. His eyes were dark and his lips were swollen from our kisses. “I… I have to clean up the kitchen,” he said suddenly, rushing out of the room before I could get a word in. I sat on the sink for the next few minutes, feeling confused and rejected.  _Is Josh getting back at me for withholding sex from him the past two weeks?_ I hopped down from the counter and slowly walked back to bed, trying not to get myself worked up to the point of crying.

            I got into bed and curled into myself, holding one of my pillows tightly to my chest.  _This is all your fault, Olive. If you hadn’t been such a bitch for the past two weeks trying to get back at him for what he did, you’d have his arms around you right now._  I heard the vacuum turn on in the kitchen as Josh cleaned up the giant mess I had made.  _After what he did, though, he deserved it. An apology is not enough to make up for what I went through that night._ Conflicting thoughts bounced around my head as I laid there, hoping Josh would come to bed instead of back to the couch. Five minutes later, I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard him come into the room.

            I peaked over and saw him go into our closet and put his shoes away. His pillow he had taken with him earlier was in his hand and I smiled, knowing he was coming to bed. The closet light turned off and Josh made his way over to his side of the bed. I looked up at him and he smiled down at me, placing his pillow back where it was supposed to be and climbing in next to me.

            I immediately cuddled up in his arms, pressing a kiss to his neck. “Thank you for cleaning up the kitchen. I’m such a klutz,” I whispered.

            “It’s my fault you dropped the glass. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that,” he said. We laid there quietly for awhile, holding each other tightly.

            “I meant what I said before,” I said softly. “I didn’t want you to stop.”

            Josh sighed and pulled back so he could look at me. “I know, sweetheart. Trust me, the last thing I wanted to do was stop, but you’re right. I was a jerk and I need to make it up to you before I can expect anything from you. You put together a beautiful dinner and I was an idiot and completely took it for granted by going out instead. I’m going to make it up to you, Olive,” he promised.

            “Can we make love first? I’ve missed you,” I pleaded.

            “Don’t tempt me, baby, please. You have no idea how much I want that, but I need to make this right first,” he said painfully before kissing my nose.

            I huffed in frustration, burying my face in his chest and straddling his thigh so he could feel how hot I was for him. That kiss before got me worked up completely and he was crazy if he thought I’d be able to sleep without getting off. I pressed my lips against his, caressing his tongue with mine and rubbing myself against his thigh.

            “Fuck,” he groaned against my lips, his hands going to my hips to press me down harder on him. The friction felt amazing and I broke away from our kiss to moan loudly. I frantically reached down and pulled my shorts and panties off in one go before pressing myself back against his thigh where his boxers had ridden up. “Jesus Christ, Olive. I can feel how wet you are,” he murmured.

            I could barely respond as I grinded against his thigh. I could feel his erection against my hip and I rubbed it with my hand over his boxer. Josh moaned and buried his face in my neck. I pulled his erection out from the top of his boxers and wrapped my hand around him.

            “Please fuck me,” I begged, giving him a squeeze.

            “Olive,” he whispered, thrusting his hips into my hand. I whimpered as he pressed me onto my back, making me lose contact with his thigh. I spread my legs wide, trying to get his hips between us so he could slide into me. Josh shook his head and shoved two fingers inside of me. I cried out and threw my head back.

            “More!” I exclaimed, pushing myself against his hand as hard as I could.

            “I can’t baby,” he said painfully. “If I take you right now, I’m going to fuck you so hard into the mattress that the bed might break.”

            “Please,” I begged again. I was so horny after having gone so long without his touch, I wanted him to pound into me as hard as he could.

            Josh shook his head, his hips still thrusting into my hand in time with his fingers inside of me. “It’s been so long, baby. I want to take it nice and slow,” he admitted. “So for now, come all over my fingers.”

            Josh fucked me hard with his long thick fingers to the point where I was screaming and had to let go of him in order to hold onto the headboard. My knuckles were turning white and Josh moaned, jerking himself off with one hand while getting me off with his other. My legs were shaking uncontrollably and the sounds that were coming out of my mouth didn’t sound human.

            “Fuck, I’m going to come!” I cried out, my entire body tingling. Josh moaned as I tightened around his fingers, my vision going white as a massive orgasm ripped through my body. My hips were bucking hard, and my heart was pounding out of my chest.

            “Ugh, that’s it baby. Fuck, so good,” he groaned, letting go in thick spurts all over my pelvic bone and lower stomach. For the next few minutes, Josh and I regained our bearings and he slowly pulled his fingers out of me. I could see in the dim light that they were soaking wet and he brought them straight to his mouth, staring intently at me as he licked them clean.

            “Jesus, Josh, are you trying to get me all worked up again?” I asked.

            He slowly slid his fingers out of his mouth. “You know I love the taste of you,” he whispered. I groaned and he winked at me before getting out of bed and going into the bathroom. I heard him shuffling around and turn the water on before coming back out into the bedroom, holding a washcloth. He tenderly wiped away the evidence of his orgasm away from my body and gave me a sweet kiss. My whole body felt like jelly and the only thing I wanted to do was curl up in his arms and sleep.

            Once he discarded the soiled washcloth, he climbed back into bed with me and held me tightly. “I love you,” I said.

            “I love you, too, my beautiful wife. Now get some sleep,” he replied. I didn’t argue with him. The next time I woke up, I was alone in bed and the sun was up. I was still naked from the waist down, but I felt completely refreshed. I sat up in bed and stretched just as Josh came into the room, carrying a tray. “Good morning, baby,” he greeted. “You just wake up?”

            I nodded. “Good morning. What’s all that?” I asked, motioning towards the tray in his hands.

            “Well, I made us some of my famous French Toast with some strawberries and syrup,” he replied.

            I smiled widely, my stomach growling as the smell of the food made its way into my nostrils. “Smells delicious,” I commented.

            Josh smiled and got into bed, resting the tray so it was on both of our laps. The toast was already cut up and covered in the syrup and strawberries. He picked up the fork and held it out to my mouth. I frowned.

            “What am I, five? I can feed myself,” I teased.

            Josh rolled his eyes. “Will you just go along with this for one forkful? I’m trying to make up for my being a dick here,” he said.

            “If you insist,” I said, opening my mouth and letting him give me the bite. I moaned in appreciation at the taste and gave him a sticky, syrupy kiss. “Tastes incredible, Mr. Hutcherson,” I whispered.

            “Why thank you, Mrs. Hutcherson,” he replied.

            Josh and I ate our breakfast in bed, sharing the same fork, but thankfully not feeding each other. One or two bites was cute, but couples who would feed each other entire meals always creeped me out. Once the plate was scraped clean, he bought the tray and dish back into the kitchen before coming back to bed.

            “Thank you for breakfast,” I said, kissing him again.

            “Mmmm you’re welcome,” he murmured.

            “Can we have sex now?” I asked bluntly.

            Josh laughed. “Well, I have more planned for us for the day, but of course, darling. Sex away.”

            I yanked my shirt over my head and pulled him close to me, pressing our naked chests together. “I’ve missed this,” I whispered, pressing my lips against his.

            Josh hummed in agreement and laid me back on the bed. He quickly removed his boxers so we were both naked, pressed against each other. There was no need for foreplay as we were both ready from having gone so long without each other. Josh easily slid into me and we both cried out at the complete feeling.

            Josh’s thrusts were slow and purposeful, pushing deep within me. Our lips barely left each other’s the entire time unless it was to breathe or whisper that we loved each other. My fingernails dug into his backside as he pushed every inch of himself into me, my hips angled so he was sliding right against my g-spot.

            “Josh,” I whispered. “You feel so good.”

            “Mmmm you too, Olive. Always,” he moaned.

            Eventually, his thrusts sped up and became more forceful, causing cries to escape the back of my throat until I was screaming his name, letting him take me over the edge. Two minutes later, Josh followed before collapsing beside me.

            “That was incredible,” he breathed, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

            I nodded in agreement. “We need to make a pact right here, right now; no matter how mad one of us is at the other, we will not withhold sex for more than one day as a punishment,” I said.

            Josh laughed. “Deal,” he vowed, sealing it with a kiss. “Now, I’m going to finish making it up to you, and then later, I’m going to make love to you again.”

            “Sounds like a plan. Lead the way, Mr. Hutcherson.”


	48. Drunk Josh Horribly Singing and Dancing to NSYNC

                “What’s this microphone for?” I asked, picking it up near the sound system.

                “In case people would like to sing along to the music. The system is run through the entire house so you can hear it from anywhere,” Josh explained.

                “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. Have your heard some of our friends, yourself included, sing? All the dogs in the neighborhood would start barking,” I joked.

                Josh laughed. “Well, I don’t plan on singing, but if our friends want to, then by all means they can make fools of themselves.”

                Josh and I had been setting up for his housewarming party that was taking place later on in the night. He had just bought a beautiful home in the Hollywood Hills dubbed “The Tree House” and he was finally breaking it in with his first party. I had showed up early to help set up and drop off all the alcohol Josh had given me money for since he still was not old enough to buy it himself.

                “Where do you want all of this?” I asked, pulling out two bottles of Ketel One from one of the many black bags.

                “Well, I set up a bar area on each deck, so I guess a few bottles in each area. The wine you got yesterday is chilling in the wine cooler in the kitchen so we can take that out later,” he said.

                The new house had an expansive deck space with plenty of couches to relax on, even one area with a drop down projection screen, a fire pit surrounded by even more places to sit, and even secluded areas out in the trees with benches, chairs, and a hammock. Josh and I had laid out in that hammock a few times, enjoying how quiet and secluded it was surrounded by all the trees. It wasn’t like his place in the valley which was right on the street just like any other neighborhood; it was private and it felt like we were in our own little world.

                I distributed the large amount of alcohol on each bar that Josh had set up before bringing my overnight bag into his bedroom. I loved his bedroom so much. It was a very light gray with black, simple, furniture, and French doors that opened into the outside. It was bright and airy and it felt like I was staying at a resort. His bathroom was also amazing, although I was always uneasy in the shower. It was massive, but it was all glass and I was afraid of one day looking outside to see a gaggle of teenage girls watch Josh and I shower together.

                When I was finished, I went into the kitchen to start preparing the snacks for everyone. We were not going to be grilling or making anything big, just pickings and hors d’oeuvres. Josh made sliders and buffalo wings while I made crescent rolls filled with spicy Colby Jack cheese and chili and cream cheese dip with tortilla chips. For the next hour, Josh and I bustled around the kitchen, getting everything ready for when the guests would start arriving.

                Five minutes after the last tray was set out, the buzzer from the gate rang. “Here goes nothing,” Josh said, giving me a soft kiss before walking over to the security system. We saw Avan’s car was waiting to be let in and he was hanging out the driver’s side window, sticking his tongue out at the camera. “Nice, bro,” Josh commented into his side of the speaker.

                “Yeah, yeah, open up!” Avan exclaimed.

                Josh rolled his eyes and pressed the button to open the gate. We knew we’d have to run back and forth all night to let people in, but we weren’t too bothered by it. If we left the gate open that would mean anyone could walk right in. The last thing we wanted was for a bunch of screaming fans to come barging in through the door. His gate was electric and gave off a shock to anyone that would try to climb it. I always joked that we’d come out one morning to find a bunch of fried fifteen year olds on the ground. Josh shut the gate as Avan parked his car next to his. Avan walked through the front door, hand in hand with his girlfriend Zoey.

                “Sup, bitches?” Avan greeted, slapping Josh on the back and giving me a kiss on the cheek. “Nice house!” he exclaimed, looking around.

                “And to think that this is only the front hallway,” Josh laughed.

                “So far, I’m liking what I’m seeing,” Zoey commented, giving both of us a kiss on the cheek. Josh gave Avan and Zoey the tour while I tagged along, Josh holding my hand the entire time.

                “Nice glass shower. I wonder how long until naked pictures of you surface from paparazzi hiding in your bushes?” Avan teased.

                Josh punched his arm good-naturedly. “Don’t jinx it. That’s the last thing I want to worry about.”

                “I’m sure they’re just waiting to capture the two of you getting freaky in there!” Avan said, inspecting the bench inside.

                “Well, we’ve already gotten freaky in there and so far, no pictures,” I replied.

                “Hopefully it stays that way,” Zoey said.

                We finished out the tour on the deck and Josh made us all drinks. “God, if the cops showed up right now, I would be the only one to not go to jail,” I mused.

                “Rub it in, old lady,” Avan joked, taking a sip of his Jack and Coke.

                “You can bail me out,” Josh murmured, placing a kiss under my ear.

                “Ha! I’ll just sit here and drink the rest of the alcohol and then maybe I’ll bail you out,” I joked, rubbing my nose against his.

                “So, are we getting the guest room?” Zoey asked.

                “Yeah, you two will get one bed and Andre is getting the other. Whoever else needs to crash, I am clearly not limited on couches,” Josh said, gesturing around the deck.

                “We’re sharing the room with Andre? You’re going to have to be quiet then, sweetheart. I know how much you like to get loud,” Avan told Zoey.

                She smacked him in the arm. “We are not doing anything tonight!” she exclaimed. “This is not one of our houses and someone else will be in the room with us!”

                “I know how you get when you’re drunk, Zoey. None of that will matter when you’re four Three Olives Cherry and Sprites in,” he said.

                Josh laughed. “It’s fine. Olive is the same way.”

                I looked at him in horror. “Jesus, Josh! You’re no better even when you’re sober!”

                “Oh I will not deny that. I can’t help myself around you. Guys, I’d apologize now for the noises I’m going to cause to come out of Olive’s mouth later, but I’m not going to be sorry,” he said to the two of them.

                My cheeks flamed red while Avan and Zoey laughed. “You’re such a pervert,” I mumbled.

                “But you love me,” he whispered.

                I looked into his eyes and smiled. “Yes, I do,” I replied, kissing him softly.

                Two hours later, the sun was almost set and the party was in full swing. I was three Captain and Cokes in and Josh was on his sixth Magic Hat #9. Safe to say, we were both pretty tipsy. Everything was going great, except for the small hiccup of two sixteen year old girls trying to run in the gate behind one of the cars. Safe to say, Andre took care of that.

                “How the hell do they even know my address? I know they know what the inside of my house looks like because magazines can’t help but publish pictures, and I know that they know it’s called “The Tree House”, but how do they know the actual address?” Josh wondered.

                “Sweetheart, it’s the twenty-first century. These girls will search the internet for hours until they find any sort of address. I wouldn’t even put it past them if they took their parents credit card and paid to find out the information,” I replied, running my fingers through his hair.

                Josh and I were sitting around the fire pit with a few friends, cuddled in each other arms. “Crazy people. I wish they’d respect my privacy. Do they really think that trying to crash my party is going to make me fall head over heels in love with them? I’m sorry, this is reality. It’s going to make me call the cops on them,” he slurred, chugging back the rest of his beer.

                “They want their “love at first sight” encounter with you! Come on, Josh, don’t you know by now the inner workings of a teenage girl’s mind?” I asked, feigning shock.

                “Olive, I’m a guy. I don’t think the way they do,” he said.

                “Zoey, you’re a teenage girl yourself. Can you please explain to Josh here what they are trying to accomplish?” I asked her.

                She laughed loudly. “Well, I’m not exactly a typical teenager, but I do go to school with a lot of girls like them! From what I’ve witnessed, they think if they wear a certain outfit or dye their hair a certain color and wear their makeup a certain way, you’ll look at no one but them and then you will realize that you need to drop everything you’re doing to talk to them and ask them out on a date. Eventually of course, you’ll marry them and live happily ever after,” she explained, giggling.

                Josh stared blankly at her. “That’s the  _stupidest_  thing I’ve ever heard!” he exclaimed. “Please tell me that you’re joking. No one thinks like that.”

                “Unfortunately, Josh, they do. They are obsessed with you and are willing to do anything to get you to notice them. They kind of scare me because they could be dangerous,” I said, shivering slightly.

                “They need a reality check. I am in a very happy, fulfilling relationship. Nothing they could ever do will change that. I don’t date crazy people,” he said.

                I laughed and kissed him softly. “I’m glad.”

                Josh picked up his empty bottle from beside him. “I need to use the bathroom and get another beer, I’ll be back,” he announced.

                “Have fun! Hopefully there isn’t a fan with her face pressed up against the glass watching you pee!” our friend, Jeff, remarked.

                Josh shuddered. “Dammit, I hope not!”

                I let Josh go and he stood up. I watched him stumble drunkly across the deck and into the house. I conversed with everyone around the fire pit for the next five minutes when I heard the opening of NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” come over the sound system.

                “Oh boy, brings back so many memories of my teenage years,” I sighed, pretending to wipe away a tear.

                I expected to hear Justin Timberlake’s first line of “Hey, Hey”, but instead, I heard a completely out of tune and pitch voice come on instead.

                “Dear God, what is that? Is that a cat dying?” Avan asked, holding his hands over his ears.

                “Josh hooked a mic up to the sound system in case anyone wanted to sing along for the whole party to hear,” I shouted over the music and terrible singing.

                “ _I’m doing this tonight, you’re probably going to start a fight_

_I know this can’t be right, hey baby come on”_

“Seriously, who the hell is singing? My eardrums are protesting,” Jeff said.

                “Oh fuck!” I exclaimed, standing up on wobbly legs. It took me a few minutes to get back inside the house since I was drunk and couldn’t walk straight.

                 _“I want to see you out that door_

_Baby bye bye bye!”_

I finally made it to the living room to see Josh singing his heart out into the microphone while trying to do the dance moves with a full beer in his hand that was sloshing all over the floor. People were singing along as well as cheering and laughing.

                I stood there in a drunken shock, watching my boyfriend make a completely fool out of himself, singing horribly to NSYNC. “Jesus Christ,” I mumbled to myself.

                Josh made eye contact with me and started to thrust his hips and try to dance all sexy; he wound up looking like a complete spaz instead.

                 _“I don’t want to be your fool, in this game for two_

_So I’m leaving you behind”_

Josh lost his footing and fell to the ground, spilling what was left of his beer all over himself, but did not stop singing until the song was over. When the last note sounded out through the speakers, he threw the microphone away from himself and clumsily got to his feet. The room was in an uproar of cheers and laughs as he bowed smiled for the crowd.  _Such an attention whore._  He picked the microphone up from the floor, almost falling over in the process, and brought it back up to his mouth.

                “I FUCKING LOVE YOU, OLIVE FAIRS!” he shouted, pointing directly at me before dropping the microphone and walking away, high-fiving everyone as he walked by until he got to me.

                “I really hope you did not just dedicate ‘Bye Bye Bye’ to me,” I said, still in shock that he actually got up and sang.

                “Hell no! That’s the last thing I want you to do! I just really felt like singing NSYNC,” he admitted, pulling me into his arms and kissing me passionately. Many people wolf whistled and I blushed. I broke away the kiss, giggling.

                “You’re crazy, Josh,” I commented.

                “Crazy about you,” he murmured, pulling me close. He led me back outside where everyone was giving him a round of applause.

                “Way to go, Hutch! You sounded like a giant bag of shit!” Avan yelled.

                Josh laughed and we sat back down in our spot. “I just had to sing man!”

                “Looks like you took a lovely beer shower as well!” Zoey commented.

                “Had to do my dance moves! After all, I’ve always wanted to be Justin Timberlake,” Josh said.

                “I think it’s time to let that dream go, sweetheart, and just be Josh Hutcherson. You’re way better than Justin anyway,” I whispered.

                “Why thank you,” he said, kissing me softly.

                Josh may be good at many things, but singing, definitely was not one of them.


	49. Adopting Driver With Josh

                Josh’s fingers drummed on the steering wheel as we slowly made our way north through the typical Los Angeles traffic. We were on our way to Lancaster to an animal shelter to pick up our newly adopted rescue puppy. We were both excited, but Josh was definitely more than I was. I loved dogs and our new puppy was exceptionally adorable, but I was more of a cat person if I was going to be honest. Josh on the other hand, was practically bouncing in his seat.

                “I can’t wait to take him home. Do you think he’ll like the name Driver?” he asked.

                I chuckled. “He’s a dog, Josh. He’s not going to care what you call him as long as you feed him and love him to bits,” I assured him.

                “I will definitely do that,” he said, smiling at me.

                Once we were finally out of LA, it was smooth sailing the entire way to Lancaster. “So how big to Pit Bulls get again?” I asked nervously. I had met Driver a week prior and he was the sweetest, most cuddly puppy in the world, but I was still uneasy about the fact that he was a Blue Pit Bull. Josh insisted on getting one though, so I caved.

                “They can get from forty to eighty pounds. It all depends,” he answered.

                “At least he’ll help keep up your upper body strength,” I reasoned.

                Josh nodded. “I’m glad they fixed his leg. I felt so helpless when he was in so much pain the last time we saw him.”

                I nodded, thinking back to the day we had met Driver at the shelter. When we walked into the room, his cute little ears perked up and his tail started wagging a mile a minute. He unfortunately couldn’t walk very well since he was an abused puppy, had a broken leg, and missing toes. Josh immediately dropped down and started to pet him and show him love. Driver responded with a million kisses to Josh’s face. Just seeing the two of them together and hitting it off so well, I knew Driver was the one for us.

                “Come over and pet him,” Josh insisted.

                I bit my lip and hesitantly walked over. Driver looked up at me with his big blue eyes and his pink tongue hanging lopsided out of his mouth. I smiled at his cute face and kneeled down beside Josh. Driver crawled closer and rested his head on my lap. “Hi boy,” I whispered, petting his short, silky fur.

                “He loves you,” Josh murmured.

                “I think I could love him, too,” I admitted, letting Driver lick my hand.

                “We’ll take him,” Josh told the shelter worker.

                “We have to operate on his leg because he has a broken femur. He’s already been neutered, so you do not need to worry about that,” the attendant said.

                The surgery went perfect and Josh and I were finally able to pick him up and bring him home with us. Forty five minutes later, we pulled into the shelter and got out of the car.

                “Are you ready to expand our family?” Josh asked, pulling me close.

                “I am. I think he’s going to be perfect,” I admitted.

                “Me too,” he agreed. Josh and I walked into the shelter where the receptionist greeted us. We stood anxiously in the waiting room until one of the workers brought Driver out on a leash. He was limping slightly, but when he saw Josh, he immediately ran towards him, pulling against the leash.

                “Whoa!” the attendant exclaimed, getting dragged along. Driver made it to Josh’s feet where he immediately collapsed and rolled over, showing off his pink belly.

                Josh laughed. “Hey, boy!” he exclaimed, leaning down and rubbing his belly. “You ready to come home?”

                “We just need you to fill out some paperwork and then he’s good to go,” the worker informed us.

                “I’ll stay here with him,” I said.

                Josh smiled at me and kissed me before following the attendant. I sat down in one of the orange plastic chairs and Driver sat up. Staring at me with his head cocked to the side.

                “So, I’m going to be your mom,” I said, smiling weakly.

                Driver gave a snort and moved closer to me, resting his head on my knee. I gently pet him and his eyes closed.

                “You really are cute,” I admitted, stroking the patch of white hair above his nose. He opened his blue eyes again and looked up at me. I could see that he just wanted to be loved, especially after being previously abused.

                “Everything is set. Are you ready?” Josh asked, coming back out into the waiting room.

                “Yeah, I’m ready. I was just bonding with our son,” I replied with a laugh, patting the top of Driver’s head.

                Josh smiled and sat down next to me, rubbing Driver’s body. “He really is a good dog. It’ll be nice to have him around,” he said.

                I nodded. “Especially when you’re off filming and I’m by myself.”

                Josh looked pained. “I wish I could bring you both with me everywhere,” he confessed.

                “I know, but I’m not quitting my job anytime soon, and you know how places get if you try to travel with a Pit Bull,” I reminded him.

                “Maybe one day,” he said hopefully.

                Josh and I stood up, Josh taking Driver’s leash and we walked out of the shelter. Josh had laid towels down in the backseat of his BMW so Driver’s nails wouldn’t ruin the interior and in case he had an accident. Josh opened the back door on the passenger side and helped Driver in since his leg was still weak. I got in the passenger side and Josh came around to the driver’s side.

                “Ready?” I asked.

                “Definitely,” Josh replied. He started the car and opened the back window as we pulled out of the parking lot. I looked behind me and saw Driver’s head was out the window, his ears flapping in the breeze. I giggled and took a picture of him with my phone.

                “He’s so cute,” I admitted.

                “I can’t wait to have a run around the backyard with him,” Josh said.

                “Well, enjoy it now because you won’t have that backyard for long,” I reminded him. Josh had bought a house in the Hollywood Hills and there wasn’t a massive, open backyard for the dog to run around. It was mostly trees, but the house was bigger so there would be more room for Driver to roam.

                “Well I’m not selling that house, so we can still go back and visit. Andre will still be living there,” he replied.

                “True, but it just won’t be at your disposal whenever you want it. You’ll actually have to take Driver out yourself at night so he doesn’t get lost,” I said.

                “That’s fine with me. I love the new property,” he told me.

                We finally made it back to the valley and Josh pulled into the driveway. He got Driver out of the car and he trotted happily behind Josh to the front door. Before Josh could get his key into the lock, the door swung open, revealing a very excited Andre.

                “Aw, look at him! He’s the cutest dog ever!” he exclaimed, crouching down to Driver’s level. “Who’s a good boy? Are you a good boy? Yes you are!” Andre talked to Driver using a baby voice.

                Driver ate up the attention and kissed Andre’s face. “Look! Andre made a friend!” I teased.

                “Hey, dogs are better than people!” Andre exclaimed.

                “And cats are better than dogs,” I said, giggling.

                Josh looked at me in mock horror, leaning down to cover Driver’s ears. “Watch your language! There will be no use of the “C word” in front of our son!”

                “CAT!” I shouted.

                Andre laughed and stood up. “Oh man, this is going to be interesting.”

                Josh rolled his eyes at the both of us. “Let’s go check out the backyard, Driver!” he exclaimed, bringing the dog into the house and detaching his leash. Driver ran around excitedly, sniffing every object and surface throughout the living room. He sniffed around under the pool table, probably looking for any sort of food.

                “Where is he going to sleep?” Andre asked.

                “Not in our bed, that’s for sure,” I replied.

                “I bought him a giant dog bed that I’m going to put in my room. That way if he has to get up in the middle of the night, he’ll only bother me,” Josh said.

                “And Olive,” Andre added.

                “It’s fine. I’ll just wake Josh up to do the midnight poop scooping,” I laughed.

                “I will gladly do it,” Josh responded, kissing my temple. “Come on, boy! Backyard!” he exclaimed, stepping towards the French doors before opening them to the large, grassy backyard. Driver happily made his way outside and started to roll around in the grass.

                “His leg should be back to normal soon, and then we can actually run around,” Josh said, sitting down on the slate steps.

                I sat down next to him and watched Driver playfully snap his jaw at a butterfly, chasing it as best he could around the yard. He would crouch low and spring, trying to surprise it, but it always flew away. Then he would bark at it.

                “He’s too funny,” I commented.

                “See, dogs aren’t so bad,” he said, putting his arm around me.

                “No, but if he eats my shoes, you’re paying for it,” I told him, patting his knee.

                “I will gladly buy you a closet full of new shoes without any problem. You know I love when you wear those sexy heels,” he murmured.

                “They won’t look so sexy with teeth marks in them,” I teased.

                Driver ran over to us after the butterfly flew away, panting and groaning happily. Josh scratched him behind the ears and smiled.

                “Let me take a picture of you both,” I said, standing up to go get my camera. I had a nice camera, a Cannon Rebel, and I hadn’t taken pictures with it in over a year. I pulled it out of Josh’s closet and ran back outside where Josh had Driver mostly on his lap.

                “This good?” he asked.

                “Perfect. Now, smile and say cheese!” I exclaimed, snapping a photo. I took about twenty and had Josh narrow them down to the five he liked. One photo was of the two of them both looking into the camera, and the others were of Josh looking down at him sweetly.

                “How about a family portrait?” Andre suggested.

                I handed him my camera and sat down next to Josh. He put his arm around me with Driver still on his lap and we smiled for the picture. Andre handed me back the camera and we looked it over.

                “It’s perfect,” I said, loving how happy we looked.

                “Perfect picture of my perfect family,” he whispered.


	50. Imagine If This Is All Really Happening, Part 4

                “What time does your plane land?” Josh asked loudly over the sound of zipping cars and loud motors in the background.

                I was flying out to LA the next day for two weeks and we were going to meet up later on in the night since we hadn’t seen each other physically in over two weeks. Josh’s nose surgery went well and he had the bandages removed recently. The first couple of times we Skyped, he was looking completely miserable with it all bandaged and he sounded extremely congested. He had been in a lot of pain, but he was glad the surgery was finally over with.

                “It’s supposed to get in at ten, but who knows if there will be delays or anything,” I replied, also talking loudly over the music in the background.

                Josh was currently in Napa, driving Audi’s around the racetrack and I was in Asbury Park, New Jersey, sitting in the VIP lounge of the Bamboozle Festival. Safe to say it was noisy on both of our ends.

                “I hope not! So you’re meeting up with your friend Rachel when you get in?” he asked.

                “Yeah, we’re just going to hang out, go dress shopping for the Movie Awards, and probably grab something to eat at The Grove,” I said, taking a sip of my beer.

                “Sounds like fun. I can’t wait to see your dress,” he told me.

                I giggled. “You’ll see it on the day of the awards,” I promised him.

                “You won’t show me beforehand? You sent me a picture of the dress you’re wearing to the picnic before the awards, why can’t you show me the awards dress?” he pouted.

                “Because I want you to be surprised!” I exclaimed. “I want to buy something that’s going to make your eyes pop out of your head and I want to see that happen.”

                “Fair enough. So, after you’re done hanging out with Rachel, want to come check out my new house in the Hills?” he asked.

                I smiled. “Check it out? You mean christen it?” I teased.

                “I mean check it out  _and_  christen it. Kill two birds with one stone,” he laughed.

                “Sounds like a plan!” I said happily.

                “Okay, I’m going to go drive some fast cars. You, go have fun at your concert and have a safe flight. Please call me when you land so I know you got in okay?” he asked.

                “I will. You have fun as well!” I exclaimed before hanging up. I finished my beer and went back over to the bar to rejoin my friends.

                “How’s lover boy?” Ali asked me

                I rolled my eyes. “Stop calling him that. His name is Josh,” I answered.

                “Oh I’m sorry, I was under the impression that he’s been penetrating you for the past month,” she giggled.

                “He has been, but that doesn’t mean he’s my lover boy. We’re just friends,” I insisted.

                “Those are the best relationships,” Anna said wistfully. “unlimited sex without the hassle of the commitment. Hold onto that as long as you can.”

                “Oh I plan to,” I swore.

                My friends and I mostly stayed in the VIP area for the rest of the night, rocking out to Jimmy Eat World and Foo Fighters. We had a blast and I was really glad I postponed my trip a day so I could attend. We attended the after party, hanging out with a bunch of our friends that were in the bands that had performed earlier. I was officially going to get no sleep before the flight and I knew I’d most likely regret it later. At two forty-five in the morning, I grabbed my giant suitcase and carry-on out of my friend’s house that she had rented for the weekend, and got in the car I had hired to take me to the airport. Luckily, I slept most of the way, but once I arrived at JFK, I was like a zombie.

                “Will you be checking any baggage, Ms. Fairs?” the attendant at curbside check-in asked me.

                I nodded, pointing to my suitcase. “Just one,” I answered, yawning loudly.

                He weighed it before placing the sticker to my final destination on it and handing me back my boarding pass and license. “Have a safe flight,” he told me.

                “You too. I mean, thanks,” I said tiredly.

                The guy chuckled and I walked away, feeling like a complete idiot. Security was a nightmare to get through as the people in front of my kept forgetting they had change in their pocket or were wearing a belt. When I had been cleared to go through, I slipped my flip flops back on, put my laptop away, and grabbed my bag. I was too tired to even think about eating any sort of breakfast, so I just went straight to my gate and sat down, trying hard not to fall back to sleep so I wouldn’t miss my boarding call.

                “Good morning ladies and gentlemen, we’d like to welcome you to American Airlines flight thirty three with non-stop service to Los Angeles. At this time, we would like to invite our first class passengers, our Group World Traveler members, as well as our Advantage members to board,” the crew member said over the loudspeaker.

                Since I was an Advantage member, I grabbed my things and headed towards the gate. I dragged myself onto the plane, found my seat, and promptly collapsed into it. All I wanted was to fall asleep and wake up in LA. I had the window seat and of course the person next to me was a very chatty twenty-year-old.

                “So what are you doing out in LA? Do you live there? I do! Are you going for work, or is it a vacation? I know this awesome restaurant you have to try!” she exclaimed excitedly.

                “It’s the crack of dawn, why are you talking?” I asked, taking out my neck pillow and getting comfortable.

                “Just trying to make friendly conversation,” she replied.

                “Okay, well I got absolutely no sleep last night so if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to sleep for the next six hours,” I said.

                “Oh, why didn’t you get any sleep? Are you afraid of flying?” she questioned.

                “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but I am exhausted and cranky and you’re honestly annoying the crap out of me. You West Coast people may like to talk to each other, but I’m a New Yorker and I want to be left alone,” I told her.

                I put my headphones in and leaned my head against the window, closing my eyes and effectively blocking out the Chatty Cathy that I unfortunately had to sit next to. The next thing I knew, I was being tapped on the shoulder by a flight attendant. I pulled my headphone out of my ear and looked at her bleary eyed.

                “Ma’am we’ll be landing momentarily, please make sure your seat back is fully upright,” she informed me.

                I nodded, sitting forward and stretching. My body ached from the uncomfortable chair and I was still sleepy, but I felt better than I did when I had first boarded. I was happy I slept through the entire flight because there is nothing worse than being wide awake on a six hour flight. The girl next to me would not make eye contact with me and I was grateful for it. The last thing I wanted to do was have a conversation with a total stranger on a cramped airplane.

                Twenty minutes later, our wheels touched down in beautiful, sunny, Los Angeles. Once we were at the gate, we deboarded in a single file line and I made my way to baggage claim and called Josh.

                “You’re alive?” he mumbled when he picked up.

                “I think so. I feel like crap because I’m still really tired, but I made it. You’re still sleeping I’m guessing,” I responded.

                “Mhm,” he hummed. “Driver and I are cuddling on the bed.”

                I giggled. “You would be cuddling with your dog. I hope there’s room for me tonight?” I asked.

                Josh chuckled. “Trust me, Olive, there will be no room for Driver tonight.”

                “Well that sounds promising. Go back to sleep. When you wake up, send me your new address and I’ll give you a call before I come over,” I said.

                “Will do. I can’t wait to see you,” he admitted.

                “I can’t either, Josh. Soon,” I replied, before hanging up. I got my bag off of the moving carousel and walked out of the terminal to the shuttle buses. It took me to Enterprise where I picked up my rental car and called Rachel.

                “You’re here!” she exclaimed into the phone.

                “I am! I just got into my car and I’m going to quickly stop at my hotel. I should be there soon! I’m taking the One all the way up to avoid the freeway so hopefully there won’t be too much traffic,” I said, pulling out of the Enterprise parking lot onto Bellanca Avenue.

                “You should be fine. Buzz when you get here,” she told me.

                “Will do!” I answered before hanging up. I put my Ray-Bans on, opened up all the windows, and turned on the radio as I headed up to my hotel. I had missed LA so much and I was glad to be back, even if it was for only two weeks. I drove up into Century City where I was staying at the Intercontinental. The valet guy helped me with my bags and took my car for me.

                Once I was all checked in, I made my way up to my room where I had a nice balcony to soak up the sun on. I took a quick shower and changed before heading back out and over to Hollywood where Rachel lived.

                “I’ve missed you!” she cried when she answered the door, giving me a massive hug.

                “I’ve missed you, too! Feels so good to be back!”

                I followed her inside and we went out onto her balcony. She had ordered pizza for us and I scarfed it down since I hadn’t eaten anything since the concert the night before.

                “So, Josh Hutcherson, huh?” she asked.

                “Yeah. Weird, isn’t it?”

                “He’s nineteen, Olive. I mean, I know that’s legal, but it’s kind of young. He can’t even get into a bar,” she said.

                “I know, but you’re twenty-eight. Of course he’s a lot younger than you. He’s only like five and a half years younger than me,” I reasoned.

                She smiled at me. “So what you’re really saying is he’s the best sex you’ve ever had,” she said, reading between the lines.

                I blushed. “The absolute best, but that’s not the only reason. He’s really funny and sweet and just fun to hang out with. I swear, Rachel, when you meet him you won’t feel like you’re hanging out with a nineteen year old,” I promised.

                “Well we’re all going to be at the Celebrity Picnic and the Movie Awards together, right?” she asked. I nodded. “I’ll hold my judgments until then, or if I meet him sooner. Sound fair?” she asked.

                “Yes. It sounds fair to me. I promise you’ll love him.”

                For the next hour, Rachel and I ate and talked, catching up with what had been going on with our lives over the past few weeks before we decided to head to Bloomingdales and go dress shopping for the Movie Awards. Rachel was a stylist so we didn’t have to pay full price for anything since she always got amazing discounts.

                The dress I finally settled on was a short, gold, and sequined by Ali Ro. It was sexy and completely perfect.

                “You are going to make Josh’s head explode with that dress,” Rachel said as we left.

                “I hope his lower head,” I replied, wiggling my eyebrows.

                Rachel burst out laughing. “Oh dear God, you are such a pervert!” she joked.

                We headed back to her apartment where I hung my dress up, deciding to leave it there until the show. “I don’t want Josh to see it if he comes to my hotel room,” I explained.

                “It’s not your wedding dress, Olive,” she said, rolling her eyes.

                “I know that! I just want to see his reaction at the awards when he sees me wearing it,” I told her. “It’s really going to suck trying to act like I don’t know him at all these events.”

                “I know, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk to him!” she reasoned, looking on the bright side. My phone buzzed in my hand and I saw I had a text message from Josh. I smiled, seeing that he sent me a shirtless picture of himself lying in bed with his address underneath it. “Holy shit, for a nineteen year old, he’s so sexy!” Rachel exclaimed, reading the message over my shoulder.

                “I think he’s trying to kill me, with that photo. God, the things that man does to me,” I said.

                My phone buzzed again, this time it was just a normal text message that read:

_“Come over. I miss you. I want you.”_

                “Jesus,” I whispered, shaking my head.

                “What the hell are you still doing here?” Rachel asked. “Go! Get out of here and go get fucked by that delicious jailbait waiting for you on his bed!”

                I laughed loudly. “You’re the best, Rachel. We’ll get dinner at The Grove later in the week!” I promised.

                “I know we will. Have fun!” she exclaimed, practically pushing me out of the door. I chuckled and wrote Josh back:

_“Just thinking about all the things you’re going to do to me is making me tremble. I’m on my way.”_

                I went back down to my car and drove as fast as I could up the winding roads of the Hollywood Hills to get to Josh’s new house. When I pulled up, I saw a gate standing in my way. I opened my window and hit the intercom button.

                “Be prepared,” his voice came through the speaker. “I’m not going to be able to control myself when I see you.”

                “I’m counting on it,” I replied, getting even more excited. There was a buzzing sound and the gate opened in front of me. I pulled through and the gate shut right behind me. I parked next to his BMW and quickly got out of the car, walking to his front door. Before I could knock, it swung open revealing a dark eyed Josh, dressed only in low rising jeans. My mouth went completely dry.

                “Hey you,” he murmured.

                I walked into the house and he shut the door, pulling me close, planting his lips on mine. “Miss me?” I asked.

            “Understatement of the century,” he whispered. He pulled back and smiled. His nose was still slightly swollen, but it wasn’t really noticeable. I lightly ran my finger down it.

            “Does it still hurt?” I asked.

            “Barely. I’m fine,” he insisted. “So, would you like the tour, or shall we just go straight to my bedroom?”

            “The latter sounds good to me. The tour can wait,” I answered.

            “I was hoping you’d say that,” he said. The next thing I knew, I was being swung over Josh’s shoulder and he was jogging down the hall.

            “I can walk you know!” I informed him.

            Josh just grunted in response. When he set me down, we were in his bedroom, which was painted a light gray with simple black furniture.

            “You, naked,” he said, pointing at me.

            I giggled as his hands started to practically tear my clothes off and he sucked on my neck, no doubt leaving a mark. Once I was naked, Josh quickly undid his jeans and pulled them down, revealing that he’d gone commando. He was already hard and aching for me, so I pressed my palm against him.

            “Jesus,” he whispered, resting his forehead on my shoulder.

            “Feels like someone is anxious,” I whispered, kissing his earlobe.

            Josh’s hand moved from my hip to between my legs and I gasped, squeezing him tightly and making him moan.

            “Feels like I’m not the only one,” he breathed.

            “No, definitely not,” I agreed. Josh kissed me softly, gently rubbing his tongue against mine. We continued to stroke each other, moaning into each others mouths the more worked up we got. Josh led me backwards until the back of my thighs hit the mattress. We broke away momentarily as he helped me onto the bed and I laid back, my legs bent with my feet resting at the edge. Josh was still standing, but he was leaning over me so he could still kiss me.

            Slowly, he eased two fingers into me and my hips automatically lifted off of the bed at the intrusion. I moaned loudly, breaking away from his kiss to take panting breaths.

            “Does that feel good, baby?” he asked, looking down at my face.

            I nodded, unable to articulate words as his thick fingers pressed with the perfect amount of pressure against my g-spot while his thumb rubbed the sensitive area above where his fingers were.

            Josh watched me as I took my pleasure from just his hand, my chest heaving and my hips moving in small circles to intensify the feeling.

            “I love watching you come apart, knowing I’m the reason why you’re doing it,” he murmured, moving his fingers faster to try and push me over the edge.

            “Please,” I begged, grasping at his shoulders with sweaty hands, trying to find something to hold onto,

            “Lift your legs up higher,” he instructed. I did as he said and cried out as his fingers went impossibly deeper. “That’s it. Right there, sweetheart?”

            “Yes!” I exclaimed.

            My body was twitching as my orgasm climbed closer and closer. Josh pressed down harder with his thumb and I lost it, clenching tightly around his fingers and throwing my head back, my mouth open in a silent scream.

            “I can feel you, Olive. I can feel you tightening around my fingers, feel your whole body shuddering,” he said softly.

            Slowly, he pulled his fingers out when I had finally come back down to earth. I was still out of breath, but I could not wipe the smile off my face.

            “You’re amazing,” I told him, holding his cheeks in my hands and bringing his head down so I could kiss him. “Now, I want you inside of me.”

            Josh didn’t hesitate, shifting so that his hips were between my thighs, pressing his erection against me. He reached down between us, rubbing himself up and down against me a few times before pressing forward, moving his hands so they were fisting the comforter near my head.

            “Fuck, Olive,” he whispered.

            “Please, more,” I begged, wanting all of him inside of me.

            Josh pushed in the rest of the way with one even stroke. We both moaned in completion, taking a second to adjust to each other. Before long, we had found a perfect rhythm, our hips moving in sync as our hands roamed each other’s bodies.

            There was no need for words; we both knew how good we made the other feel. Our unions were always effortless, both of us knowing what the other liked. I ran my hands down his back, scratching lightly until I reached his behind. I could feel his muscles tensing with each thrust and I urged him to move faster.

            “More,” I whispered, wanting him to lose control a bit,

            “You want me to fuck you, baby?” he asked, trailing kisses along my collarbone.

            “Uh huh,” I consented, nodding my head.

            Josh picked up the pace, his hips slapping more forcefully against mine. Whimpers left my throat each time we connected and his hand snaked between us to stroke me.

            “How hard, Olive? How hard do you want me to fuck you? Tell me,” he murmured, rubbing tight circles right above where we were joined.

            “Harder,” I answered, trying to keep myself together.

            Josh pushed himself up a bit on his one hand and slammed his hips into mine. The angle change caused me to cry out and lift my hips up for more.

            “Like that?” he asked.

            “Yes!” I exclaimed.

            “Mmmmm there’s my dirty girl. You’re so sexy,” he said, driving into me over and over again.

            I could feel myself slipping and it was the first time I ever thought I might black out from how good it felt. “Shit, Josh, I can’t!” I cried out.

            “Oh yes you can. You can and you will,” he told me, not easing up on his thrusts.

            My brain wanted Josh to stop, feeling that it was too much, but my body wanted him to keep going because it felt incredible.

            “Come on, Olive, give it to me,” he demanded.

            His voice triggered a mind-blowing orgasm, my muscles tightening around him to the point where they basically pushed him out of my body. “Jesus fucking Christ!” he exclaimed, but the only thing I could do was shudder and whimper as my body basically took over.

            Josh grabbed my hips and slammed back into me.

            “FUCK!” I screamed as he thrusted into me three more times before letting go himself, moaning my name and collapsing on top of me.

            “God damn that was intense,” he said, swallowing hard and trying to catch his breath.

            I felt as if I was finally coming back to reality, albeit very slowly. “Josh, I am not kidding you, I’ve never come that hard before in my entire life,” I swore.

            Josh lifted up slightly and looked down at me, a smug look crossing his face. “And I have never felt anyone come that hard in my entire life. It was crazy, but it was so awesome,” he said.

            I smiled and pushed his hair off of his sweaty forehead. “You’re amazing,” I whispered, kissing him softly.

            “So are you, Olive.” Our kiss was broken by a loud barking. “That would be Driver,” Josh laughed.

            “Yeah, where is he?” I asked.

            “Out on the deck. I figured I’d let him enjoy the great outdoors while I fucked your brains out. No distractions,” he explained.

            “Good thinking,” I complimented. Josh slowly pulled out of me and I shuddered at how sensitive I felt.

            “You okay?” he asked, kissing my forehead.

            “Yeah. Never felt better,” I admitted. We laid there, holding each other for a few minutes while we regained our bearings, listening to Driver bark.

            “You ready for the tour and to meet Driver?” Josh asked.

            “Absolutely,” I replied. We both got up, quickly redressing before walking hand in hand out of his bedroom.

            “I’m so glad you’re here for the next two weeks,” he whispered, kissing my temple.

            “Trust me, Josh, so am I.”


	51. Josh Is Away Filming Mockingjay, Olive Is Home With the Baby

                Three weeks.

                That’s how long Josh had been gone filming Mockingjay, leaving Eloise and I at home. Josh and I had both wished we could have gone with him, but I couldn’t take the time off of work. Josh had insisted over and over that if I didn’t want to work anymore, I didn’t have to, but he understood that my job was very important to me.

                Just because we couldn’t be with him all of the time, doesn’t mean we never saw him. We Skyped nightly though so he could talk to us and so Eloise could see his face every day. We wanted her to know that even if he wasn’t physically there, her daddy was always there for her. Eloise and I would be traveling to the set in a few days for a week and I couldn’t wait. Eloise was now seventeen months old and growing every single day. She was almost a replica of Josh, except she had my blue eyes, my mouth, and my jaw. She was definitely a beauty.

                Her vocabulary consisted of about ten words and she was now running everywhere her little legs would take her. Her first word ever was “dada” and I thought Josh was going to cry the first time he heard her say it. The first time she walked it was directly into his arms. Eloise was a daddy’s girl through and through.

                “Mama!” she exclaimed, tottering into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. She had fallen asleep on the living room floor watching a movie and had just woken up, hair all over the place and a sleepy pout on her face. She looked exactly like Josh when he wakes up and it made me smile.

                “Hi, my angel. Did you have a good nap?” I asked, drying my hands on a dishtowel. I bent down and picked her up so her head rested on my shoulder. I felt her nod and kissed her forehead.

                “Dada home?” she asked.

                I sighed. “No, Ellie. Remember, daddy’s away working? We’re going to see him in a few days, though and we’ll talk to him on the computer tonight,” I reminded her.

                “Dada,” she whimpered and I held her tighter. I could feel her little tears on my shoulder and I had to try to keep mine back.

                “I know, sweetheart. I miss him, too,” I admitted. I comforted my daughter, wishing Josh was here more than anything. He was always so good with calming her down. I sat Ellie in her highchair for dinner, but she was still crying and rubbing her eyes. Not only did she miss Josh, but she was still tired and cranky.

                I picked my cellphone up off of the counter and dialed his number. Hopefully hearing his voice would make her feel better.

                “Hi beautiful,” he whispered.

                “Hi, I hope I’m not disturbing a scene?” I asked.

                “Hold on,” he whispered again. I heard him mumble something to the director before walking away. “Sorry, it was just a run through. No harm done. What’s up? Is that Ellie crying in the background?” he asked with concern.

                “Yeah, she misses you,” I murmured. “Just like I do.”

                “I miss you both, too” he said softly.

                “Will you talk to her? I think she just needs to hear your voice.”

                “Of course I will,” he agreed. I walked over to my still crying little girl and put my phone on speaker.

                “Sweetheart, daddy’s on the phone,” I said to her, running my fingers through her dark hair.

                “Dada?” she asked, looking up at me with tear filled eyes.

                “Hi, my angel face,” Josh cooed.

                Eloise’s entire face lit up, her tears finally stopped falling. “DADA!” she exclaimed.

                Josh chuckled. “How are you? Are you being good for mommy?” he asked.

                “YES!” she yelled before giggling.

                “Good! I miss you, sweetheart. I can’t wait to see you in a few days. I hope you’re ready to be tickled!” he teased.

                Eloise shrieked. “No tickle, Dada!” she exclaimed.

                “No tickle? The Tickle Monster was looking forward to it, though!” Josh pouted.

                I laughed lightly. Whenever he and Eloise were playing around, he would complain of a pain in his arm and she would start screaming and laughing, knowing that at any moment, his arm was going to turn into the Tickle Monster. “No!” Eloise said defiantly.

                Josh sighed. “Well, I hope he listens to you. You know how he has a mind of his own!”  I heard someone call his name in the background and he groaned.

                “You have to go?” I guessed.

                “Yeah, time to shoot! I’ll talk to you in a few hours. I love you, Olive, and I love you, Ellie,” he said.

                “I love you, too, Josh,” I said. “Ellie, say goodbye to daddy and tell him you love him. We’ll see him later, okay?”

                “Bye, Dada! Love you!” she replied. I hung up the phone and kissed her forehead.

                “You feel better you talked to daddy?” I asked. She nodded. “Good. We’ll see him on the computer later. Now, how about some dinner?” I suggested.

                “Noo-noos!” she yelled.

                “Noodles? Are you sure?” I asked, giving her a playful smile.

                “Yes, Mama! Noo-noos!” she yelled again.

                “Well, all right! Noodles it is!” I agreed, boiling some water on the stove and taking out the princess tiara shaped macaroni I knew were her favorite. Ellie sat in her highchair, singing a song from Dora the Explorer to herself while I cooked her dinner. When the pasta was drained, I put some in her small bowl, added some butter, and mixed it. Ellie, like me, was a very picky eater.

                I wiped her hands off with a baby wipe before setting the bowl down in front of her with her little pink fork. She couldn’t use utensils very well, but we had her hold the fork in her hand so she could get used to it even though she ate with her fingers.

                I fixed myself a sandwich and sat at the table with her. Every time I looked at her, I saw Josh. Everywhere we went with her, people would stop us and compliment us on what a beautiful baby we had and how much she looked like her father. While I was pregnant, the press had nothing better to do than to make up stories about Josh not really being the father.

                The first picture a photographer captured of her quickly shut them all up. She was definitely Josh’s daughter, no questions asked. The stories used to upset us, but we decided keeping quiet and not dignifying them with a response was the best route to go. Once Ellie and I were done with dinner, I gave her a bath and we sat in front of the computer, knowing any minute Josh was going to Skype us. Less than two minutes later, the call came in.

                I accepted it and Josh’s face filled our screen, his blonde hair damp and disheveled no doubt from a shower and his eyes tired, but happy.

                “DADA!” Ellie screamed, touching the computer screen.

                “Hi, baby girl! You look so beautiful in those pink pajamas!” he complimented.

                “Tanks! Pwincess!” she said, pointing to the picture of sleeping beauty on the front of them.

                Josh chuckled. “I see that. You are way more beautiful than Sleeping Beauty, though,” he told her.

                “How was shooting today?” I asked, holding Ellie back a bit so I could see him.

                “Same old, same old. I can’t wait for you both to come out to the set,” he smiled.

                “We can’t either. Jennifer called when right after you told her I was coming,” I laughed. “She was screaming with excitement and said she couldn’t wait to take Ellie and me shopping. She loves dressing our daughter up more than anything.”

                “Tell me about it,” he laughed as well. “How are you, Olive. You look tired,” he observed, frowning.

                I waved him off. “Oh you know, crazy busy at work. Besides, I can never sleep well when you’re not here.”

                “I feel the same way,” he admitted, looking a bit sad before brightening up. “Guess what, Ellie?”

                “What?” she asked excitedly.

                “I got you a present! When you come visit, I’ll give it to you,” he told her.

                Ellie was beside herself with joy. “PWESENTS!” she shouted at the top of her lungs, making both of us laugh.

                “What do you say to daddy, baby?” I reminded her.

                “TANKS!”

                “All right, it’s time to get this little one into bed. Do you want to wait?” I asked him.

                He nodded. “Absolutely. Goodnight, my angel face. Sleep tight and I love you,” he said to Ellie, blowing her a kiss.

                She put her hand to her mouth, kissed it loudly, and pressed it against his face on the screen. “Night night! Love you!” she told him.

                “I’ll be right back,” I said. I took Ellie into her pink princess room and tucked her into her crib, turning on the soft nightlight. She yawned loudly and cuddled up to the stuffed frog Josh had gotten her. “Sleep tight, munchkin. I love you,” I whispered.

                “Love you,” she mumbled around the thumb she placed in her mouth. Her eyes drifted shut and I quietly walked out of the room, closing the door just a little bit. I went back into the computer room where Josh was still waiting for me on the screen.

                “She’s all tucked in and on her way into dreamland,” I told him.

                “Good. I miss you both so much, Olive. I hate being here without you,” he confessed.

                Tears welled up in my eyes and I bit my lip to try and hold them back. “I know. We miss you, too. I miss sleeping in your arms and I miss hearing you play with Ellie in her room while I try and edit my articles last minute in my office. I just miss you, more than anything.”

                Josh ran his hand through his hair. “I’m so glad you’re visiting. You have no idea. I can’t wait to kiss you and hold you, everything I haven’t been able to do in the past three weeks.”

                “I know,” I agreed, nodding and playing with my engagement ring. Josh and I were not married, but he had proposed six months after Ellie was born. We were going to get married around Ellie’s second birthday in July and I couldn’t wait.

                “I can’t wait to marry you,” he whispered, as if reading my mind.

                I smiled. “I know. Me neither.”

                “When we’re married, would you object trying for another baby? I love you and I love Ellie so much. I want her to grow up with siblings and I want us to have more children to love,” he admitted.

                I sucked in a deep breath. We hadn’t talked about having another baby, but I had thought about it. “I think that would be all right. Ellie will be almost three by the time the new baby is born and I do want to have more of your children,” I smiled.

                Josh smiled widely as well. “Good. I love seeing you pregnant, knowing we’re bringing someone else into the world that we created together.”

                “Hopefully the next one will be easier than when I was pregnant with Ellie,” I said, shivering slightly at the memory of the extreme morning sickness I suffered.

                “I will be there every step of the way,” he vowed. “For this moment, though, I’m happy with the three of us.

                “Me, too, Josh,” I said, nodding. I was excited at the prospect of having another addition to our wonderful family within the next two years, but for now, Josh and Ellie were definitely all I needed.


	52. Olive In An Accident

                “There’re a lot of them out there,” Olive commented, nervously looking towards the front of the restaurant.

                I followed her gaze and saw the crowd of photographers, waiting in front of the windows and by the door. They had followed me here where I had met Olive for lunch before we were going to head back to my home. “They just never give up,” I said angrily.

                “Maybe they’ll leave us alone when we leave,” she said, grasping my hand tighter.

                I let out a short, harsh laugh. “Doubtful. They’ll follow us all the way back to my house.”

                “Let’s hope they won’t. It’s not like they can really take pictures of anything once we get there,” she reminded me.

                The waitress brought the check back so I could sign for the meal. I took my credit card, slipped my sunglasses on, and stood up, holding my hand out to Olive. “Shall we?” I asked.

                “It’s now or never,” she replied, taking my hand. I led her outside, making sure she was behind me so the photographers focused more on me instead of her. Of course, that didn’t work.

                “JOSH! OLIVE!” they all shouted at us, snapping away and nearly blinding us as we walked to the parking lot. Olive’s hand was squeezing mine tight and I knew she was nervous. I didn’t particularly enjoy the paparazzi, but Olive was terrified of them. She said they were dangerous. They could make you seem a certain way with just a picture and a made up story.

                I had parked my car next to hers, but led her to her driver side door before going to mine. “Follow me back,” I said and she nodded, getting into her car.

                I gave a small smile to the photographers as I got into my car and they all disappeared. I pulled out of the parking lot, Olive driving behind me and out of nowhere, six cars pulling up in front, beside, and behind us.

                “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I growled. They were following us, and not only that, they were also snapping photos at the same time.

                I looked in my rearview mirror to make sure Olive was still behind me and I saw the car next to her, some sleazy looking paparazzi, snapping photos of her while driving at the same time. I could see her face and she looked horrified that he was doing that. Then, as if in slow motion, his car started veering into her lane and since he wasn’t paying attention, he did nothing to stop it.

                I watched in horror as Olive screamed, his car slamming into hers with enough force to knock her car over the sidewalk and into a light post. “JESUS CHRIST!” I screamed, slamming on my breaks and throwing the car into park. I jumped out, not caring that my door was still open or that the keys were in the ignition. I ran as fast as I could to her car, blood pounding in my ears.

                When I got there, I saw the entire front of her car was smashed in, the windows shattered and she was slumped over the steering wheel. “Olive!” I shouted, reaching through the window to push her hair off of her face. The airbag had gone off and her face was swollen, her nose no doubt broken, and blood was dripping from it as well as a gash in her forehead. She was unconscious, but thankfully still breathing.

                “Oh my God, call nine one one!” I heard someone shout. I turned around, seeing the photographer that had cause the accident stepping out of his car, looking dazed, but not hurt. My vision went red and I strutted over to him, snatching the camera from his hand and slamming it as hard as I could into the pavement, making it shatter everywhere.

                “Hey! That camera cost over a thousand bucks! You’re going to pay for that!” he threatened. I grabbed him by his shirt and smashed him into the pavement right next to his broken camera, holding his throat.

                “You caused my girlfriend to go slamming into a light post,” I seethed. “When you’re in jail, I promise you that you won’t be needing your fucking camera.”

                “I didn’t mean to,” he said pitifully.

                “You were too busy snapping pictures to drive responsibly. Now look what you’ve done. I will ruin your life for this,” I promised, getting up to go back over to the car. The photographers were either on their cell phones and some still taking pictures. I’m sure my scuffle with the paparazzi who had caused all of this was well documented.

                As I stood near Olive’s window, the sound of sirens alerted me that the police and ambulance were close by. I leaned down as Olive stirred, groaning in pain. “Josh,” she croaked.

                “I’m right here,” I told her, running my fingers soothingly through her hair. I was trying my hardest to remain calm, but all I really wanted to do was scream and beat the hell out of every single photographer standing around us.

                “What happened?” she slurred.

                “You were in an accident, sweetheart. That shit head paparazzi wasn’t paying attention and slammed into you, making you jump the curb and hit the light post. She started to whimper, trying to sit up, but I held her firmly so she couldn’t. “No, Olive. Don’t move. You may have hurt your neck or back and the last thing you want to do is cause more damage. Just relax, the ambulance is almost here.”

                “It hurts,” she pouted, tears streaming down her face.

                My heart broke for her. “I know, but you’re going to be all right. I promise,” I swore. Out of nowhere, the cops pulled up, completely shutting down the area and the ambulance arrived, EMTs rushing out towards us.

                I stepped back to let them do their job as my hands shook uncontrollably. A police officer approached me, pen and pad in hand. “Sir, were you a witness to this accident?” he asked.

                “Yes. She’s my girlfriend and she was driving right behind me,” I said before pointing over to the photographer who was sitting on the sidewalk, holding what was left of his camera. “He is the one that caused all of this.”

                “Let’s start from the beginning. Can you please tell me your name and the girl’s name?” he asked.

                “I’m Josh Hutcherson and she is Olive Fairs,” I replied.

                “All right, now what exactly happened?” he asked.

                “Well, we were leaving Umai Sushi and there were a lot of photographers out front and they started to follow us. I watched in my rearview mirror as this one here was next to my girlfriend’s car, not paying attention to the road, just taking pictures of her while driving, and he slammed into the side of her, making her jump the sidewalk and hit the pole,” I told him, trying to keep my anger in check.

                “He smashed my camera into the ground! I want to press charges for damage of property,” the photographer said to another police officer.

                I laughed. “And I want to press charges for property damage of her car and her person. I hope you have a good lawyer,” I smiled.

                There were two other cops, interviewing witnesses as well and they were all saying the same thing; it was the photographer who had caused the accident. He officially realized there was no way he was getting out of this and a cop loaded him into the back of his car to take him down to the station for questioning as well as a formal write up.

                “JOSH!” I heard Olive scream at the top of her lungs.

                My heart jumped in my chest and I ran over to where they were putting her onto the stretcher. Her head and neck were secured and strapped and I got a better look at the rest of her body. Her left leg was completely swollen and definitely broken as well as her arm. I quickly wiped the tears away so she wouldn’t see them and grabbed her right hand because it seemed fine.

                “I’m right here, Olive. We’re going to take you to the hospital and they’re going to fix you right up,” I said to her.

                “Sir, will you be riding in the ambulance?” one of the EMT’s asked.

                I nodded. “Let me just park my car,” I said. I ran as fast as I could back to my car and pulled it into a free parking space on the street. I would call Andre when I got to the hospital to pick it up for me. After they loaded Olive into the back of the ambulance, I climbed in and sat by her head, looking into her eyes and stroking her hair.

                “I’m so scared,” she cried as the EMTs checked her over, assessing the damage.

                “I know, baby. I won’t leave your side,” I whispered.

                As the EMT worked on her leg, she screamed in pain and started to hyperventilate, pulling against the straps. “Olive, please stop!” I begged, hating that she was hurting so much.

                “She’s going into shock!” one of the EMTs shouted and I was pushed out of the way as they checked her pupil dilation and shot her with a sedative, making her relax almost immediately, her eyes almost shutting completely.

                I sat there, scared and confused, still not able to process what had happened. I knew I was crying, but I made no move to stop myself. I had never felt so hopeless in my life. When we got to the hospital, they took her out and I followed into the emergency room. They told me to wait in the waiting room and I tried to protest, wanting to be with her. Of course they refused so I went outside and called Andre.

                “What’s up, bro?” he answered, sounding distracted. I knew he was probably working.

                “Can you please come to Cedars-Sinai ER?” I asked, sniffling and wiping my eyes.

                “What? Why? What happened? Are you okay?” he asked frantically.

                “Olive was in a bad car accident. A paparazzi ran her off the road and she hit a light post,” I told him, sitting down on the curb.

                “WHAT?” he shouted. “I’m on my way.” He quickly hung up and I called my mother.

                “Hi, sweetheart,” she answered.

                I completely broke down, sobbing into the receiver as the gravity of the situation hit me. “Mom,” I croaked.

                “Josh? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” she asked, sounding even more frantic than Andre had.

                “Olive was in an accident,” I told her through my cries. “She’s hurt, bad.”

                “Are you serious? What happened?” she asked, sounding extremely upset.

                “Paparazzi was following us and he side swiped her car, making her run off the road into a post,” I told her, taking a deep breath to calm my crying.

                “They did WHAT? Where is she?” she asked.

                “She’s in the ER. I’m outside. Mom, I’m scared,” I admitted.

                I heard her running around. “Josh, just relax. I am on my way out there. I will text you when I know my flight information,” she said.

                “Thank you,” I whispered.

                “I love you, honey and tell Olive I love her, too,” she told me.

                “Love you, too and I will,” I replied, hanging up. I got up and walked back into the Emergency Room waiting area and sat down in the hard, plastic chairs.  _How could this happen? Why did they constantly have to follow me everywhere? Now look what happened. Olive is hurt and it’s all my fault._  I sat there, berating myself in my head for what seemed like hours before Andre came running in.

                “Dude!” he exclaimed, running over to me. “Where is she? Have you seen her?” he asked.

                I shook my head. “Not since they brought her in. I don’t know what to do. This is all my fault,” I said.

                Andre looked like he was about to punch me. “Don’t start with that shit, Josh. This is the photographer’s fault. You cannot control them following you and hurting other people,” he reminded me.

                “Excuse me,” a nurse said, coming over to us. “Are you with Olive Fairs?” she asked me.

                I nodded and stood up. “Yes. Where is she? Can I see her? Is she okay?” I asked.

                “They are taking her up to the OR. Her leg was hurt very badly and it is restricting blood flow to the rest of her body,” she informed me.

                “Are they amputating?” Andre asked.

                The nurse shook her head. “No. They are going to set the bones in order and she is probably going to need a replacement knee cap. It was completely shattered,” she said. “She also has a broken rib and a punctured lung that needs to be fixed. The OR waiting room is on the fifth floor if you would like to wait there.”

                “Okay, thank you,” Andre said.

                “Is she okay? She’s going to live, right?” I asked in a small voice.

                The nurse gave me a comforting smile. “She is definitely going to live. She’s very banged up, she’s going to be in a lot of pain, and she’s going to need extensive physical therapy and recovery, but she will be fine,” she assured me.

         I was slightly relieved, but I would not fully calm down until her surgery was done and I could physically see her. I followed Andre up to the OR waiting room in a daze. When we got there, there were more uncomfortable plastic chairs and I spent the next couple of hours sitting in them or pacing. Eventually, I dozed off during one of my sitting times and the next thing I knew, I was being shaken awake by Andre.

         “Is she awake?” I slurred, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

         “The doctor wants to talk to you,” he said.

         I immediately shot up and walked over to the man in the white lab coat. “Hi, Mr. Hutcherson, I’m Doctor Michaelson. I just operated on Ms. Fairs. Does she have any family that we can get in touch with?” he asked.

         “No. Her parents are dead. Why? Is she okay? Is she…” I couldn’t even finish the sentence as I started to go into a panic.  _Please don’t be dead, sweetheart, please. I can’t live without you._

“It’s just the hospitals procedure to get in touch with a member of the family. She is alive and in recovery at the moment. We’re going to keep her in ICU for a few days to make sure everything stays that way. She’s in and out of consciousness and a bit disoriented from the medication, but you can go in and see her,” he informed me.

         I breathed a sigh of relief. Olive was going to be okay. I turned back to Andre. “Go, Josh. Go see her,” he said.

         I nodded and followed the doctor to Olive’s room in the ICU. Her left arm was in a cast and I could see her leg was all bandaged up as well from under the sheets. I guessed they had reset her nose in the ER and it was now bandaged like mine had been after my surgery. Both of her eyes were black and the cut on her forehead had been stitched with gauze and tape over it.

         “Olive,” I whispered, seeing her so helpless, covered in wires that were hooked up to all different kinds of beeping machines.

         “Take all the time you need,” Doctor Michaelson told me, patting my shoulder before leaving.

         I walked towards the bed and sat down in the chair next to it. I gently took her hand in mine and her glassy eyes opened halfway.

         “Josh,” she breathed.

         “Hi, sweetheart,” I said, giving her a small smile.

         “Can you pass the butter please?” she asked in a small voice. She was definitely drugged out and I chuckled.

         “Sure, baby, but can I get a kiss first?” I requested.

         “You never have to ask for kisses,” she answered. I leaned forward and softly captured her lips with mine, being mindful of her nose.

         “Do you want waffles?” she asked when I pulled away.

         “Sure, Olive,” I answered, smiling widely. I hated that she was in the hospital and hurting, but seeing her on painkillers was pretty amusing.

         “You can just take them off my plate. My arms don’t seem to be working,” she said wistfully.

         “That’s okay. You just get some rest, all right?”

         “Okay,” she agreed. “I really love biscuits, Josh. No one believes me,” she slurred, letting her eyes droop shut.

         I bit my lips together, trying to hold back my laughter. “I know you do, baby. I believe you. You just sleep now, okay? I love you and I’ll be here when you wake up,” I promised.

         “I love you too,” she whispered, drifting back off into unconsciousness.

         I was thankful she was going to be all right, but I would never get over how broken my heart was seeing her like this. I knew I couldn’t protect her from everything, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try.


	53. Olive In An Accident, Part 2

                The past two weeks had not been easy. Olive had spent the first week in the hospital and I rarely left her side. It wasn’t until she complained about my growing neck beard and how much a smelled that I actually went home to take a shower, shave, and change. After a day in ICU, I paid for her to have a private room with a somewhat comfortable cot for me to sleep on. I refused to let her sleep there by herself. Our friends came every day to visit and try and cheer her up, but she was in a lot of pain and was mostly out of it on medication.

                Her nose was healing nicely and they removed the bandages the day before they discharged her. I remembered from my own surgery how much it hurt for them to remove the packing from inside of the nostrils and hearing her scream with the pain tore my heart apart. Olive had always been a very strong person and now that she needed to depend on other people to help her, she was starting to get depressed. She was always used to doing things herself and being independent. I hated that she felt like an invalid when she was the exact opposite.

                The day she was discharged, I brought her back to my house to stay until she fully recovered. My mother stayed with us for the first week of her being out of the hospital to help her shower. I told her I had no problem helping with that, but Olive refused, too embarrassed because she was all banged up from the accident and surgery. Now that my mother was leaving though, I would be helping her.

                “Josh, I can stay. It’s really no problem,” my mother insisted as I wheeled her suitcase to the door.

                “Mom, you’ve been away from dad and Connor for two weeks. I know you’ve been away from them for longer before, but you had just gotten back to Kentucky when this happened. I promise everything will be fine. I’ll take care of her,” I promised.

                My mom patted my cheek. “I know you will. Just tread lightly, all right? It’s not just a few bruises and cuts on her body, it’s serious injuries and she’s in a lot of pain. She doesn’t want you to see her that way.”

                “I know that, mom. I love her. I’m not going to be grossed out,” I said.

                “It’s not about that, Josh,” she said softly. “You don’t know how many times I’ve had to pull her fist out of her mouth because she shoved it in there to keep from screaming and alerting you. Every move she makes, any sort of pressure on her, puts her in agony. Showering? Forget it. She sobs the whole time. Then I cry and we’re both crying and trying to get everything done as fast as possible.”

                My mother had tears in her eyes and I took a deep breath, letting her words sink in. I had only seen Olive cry once during this whole ordeal and that was when they were removing her nose bandages. Other than that, I hadn’t seen her shed a tear.  _Was she afraid to look weak in front of me? Was she embarrassed for me to see her cry?_  “Mom, I promise I will take care of her. She’s my girlfriend and I plan on spending the rest of my life with her. That means for better or for worse. It’s okay for me to see her at her worst.”

                “You’re a good man,” she whispered, kissing my cheek.

                “You raised me to be that way,” I reminded her. “Now, go home to dad and Connor. Tell them I say hi and hopefully when Olive is finally recovered, we can come out to visit.”

                “You take care of yourself and her. You can always call me if you need anything. I have no problem jumping on the first plane back out here,” she told me.

                “I know, mom, and I will. I promise.”

                She gave me a massive hug. “I love you,” she said.

                “I love you, too. Have a safe flight,” I replied.

         “Oh, and don’t give her any Vicodin. It makes her even more crazy than the Morphine they gave her at the hospital.” With that, my mother left, leaving me alone in the front hallway. Once I saw her rental car pull through the gate, I closed it and went into the guest bedroom where Olive and my mother had been staying. We couldn’t share a bed in case I accidentally rolled over onto her in my sleep and it was easier for her to be in a room with my mom in case she needed the bathroom at night.

                Olive was sleeping, her left leg out of the sheets and propped up on a few pillows. She wasn’t in a cast, but it was bandaged and in a brace, keeping it straight. Her left arm was in a cast though, lying at her side. She had quite a few broken ribs so keeping it in a sling while she was lying down was extremely uncomfortable. I watched her as she slept, her chest slowly rising and falling with each soft breath. Under her eyes were still black and blue, but the stiches had been removed from her forehead, leaving a harsh red line that we had been rubbing anti scar cream on.

                I walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, my hands on either side of her body. I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, avoiding the cut. She stirred slightly and her eyes opened a bit. “Hi, baby,” I whispered. She gave me a slight smile before yawning and grimacing. “Did that hurt your ribs?”

                She nodded and cleared her throat. “Did your mom leave?” she asked, her voice sounding sleepy.

                I nodded. “Just a few minutes ago. I’m going to move my stuff into here in case you need me during the night, all right?”

                She shook her head, looking worried. “You don’t have to. I’ll be fine,” she insisted.

                I sighed. “Olive, you can’t walk on your own, you can’t shower on your own, you can barely sit up on your own.”

                “Can you please stop reminding me what I can’t do?” she inquired angrily.

                “Sweetheart, calm down. I’m just trying to help you. Can you please just swallow your pride and let me do that?” I asked, trying not to get mad.

                “You don’t get it Josh!” she exclaimed. She went to sit up, but cried out, turning over onto her right side and burying her face in the pillow.

                “Olive?” I asked worriedly, knowing she was hurting. I placed my hand on her back, but she flinched so I pulled it away. “Talk to me please,” I begged.

                “Please leave me alone,” she told me, muffled by the pillow.

                “No,” I replied defiantly. “You’re obviously hurting, let me do something.”

                She lifted her face up, but didn’t turn towards me. “Leave me alone!” she shouted, holding back sobs.

                I huffed and stood up, walking into the guest bathroom. I grabbed a washcloth and wet it with cold water before wringing it out and going back into the bedroom. She had still not moved from her position, but I could tell she was crying. I went over to the bed and sat in the spot I had just vacated, slowly turning her until she was on her back. Tears were pouring down her face and she looked so lost. Gently, I took the cool, wet towel and pressed it against her forehead.

                “Shhh,” I whispered. “Just relax, Olive. I’m here and I’m going to take care of you. I love you so much.”

                Each sob that ripped through her chest cause even more tears since it was very painful on her ribs. It was at that moment, I wanted to kill the photographer than caused this to happen. I softly wiped her face with the cloth, trying my best to calm her down. After a few minutes, she was just letting out occasional whimpers, her eyes swollen from her crying.

                “I’m s-sorry,” she stuttered out.

                I shook my head. “No. You don’t have to apologize. I know that this whole situation is extremely hard on you. I wish I could switch places with you and take your pain away.”

                “I hate that you have to see me like this,” she admitted.

                “Olive, I love you. We’re in a relationship which means I’m going to see you at your best and I’m going to see you at your worst just like you will with me. There is nothing to be embarrassed about ever with me,” I reassured her.

                “I love you, too, Josh,” she said.

                I smiled. “I’m staying in here with you,” I stated. “Anything you need, I will help you with. Don’t be scared to say that you need me.”

                “I need you. I’m going to need you a lot and I hate that. I feel like you’re going to get sick of me,” she told me.

                “I won’t get sick of you,” I vowed. “I’m going to be here every step of your recovery. You’re not going to be like this forever, Olive. You’re going to get better and be back to your old self.”

                “You promise?” she asked.

                I nodded. “I promise. Now let’s get you out of bed and into the shower, okay?” I suggested. My mother was going to help her before she left, but Olive had a hard time falling asleep last night so she let her rest instead. This would be the first true test for me that I was capable of taking care of her.

                Olive shrugged. “I don’t know, Josh. I don’t look the same naked anymore,” she admitted bashfully.

                “Stop that. You’ll always be beautiful to me. I don’t care that you’re covered in bruises and cuts and injuries. Those will all go away,” I told her.

                “I really just need help washing my hair,” she explained. “And my leg. I can’t bend down that far.”

                I laughed. “I will wash your hair and your leg, okay?” I stood up and walked around to Olive’s right side where she wasn’t injured as much. I had her wrap her arm around my neck and I gently lifted her into my arms. She cried a bit and I stood impossibly still, letting her gain her bearings. Once she gave me the okay, I brought her down the hall, into my room, and into my bathroom since I had a bench in my shower that she could sit on.

                “We have to wrap my arm and leg in plastic so they don’t get wet,” she told me after I set her on the bench.

                “What have you and my mom been using? Cellophane?” I asked.

                She nodded. “Your mom bought a Costco size box of it. It’s in the bottom left drawer of your vanity.”

                I went into the drawer and there was indeed a Costco sized box of cellophane inside. I wrapped her arm and leg for the next five minutes, being extremely gentle so I wouldn’t hurt her. Once that was done, it was another project to remove her clothes.

                “This is the worst part,” she whispered. I could tell she was hurting and I hated it. Once she was undressed, I finally got a good look at her body. “Awful, isn’t it?” she asked.

                The bruises were almost black and the cuts were an angry red. It was hard to look at knowing that each one hurt more than the next, but I knew as the days wore on that each would be a little less painful than the day before.

                “It is awful, Olive. It’s awful that you have to go through this, but you are still beautiful,” I assured her. “Now, it’s my turn.”

                I wanted to make her smile, so I gave her a bit of a strip tease, making her giggle when I shook my ass to remove my jeans. “Nice ass,” she said, giving it a smack with her good hand.

                “How about we save the spanking for when you’re feeling one hundred percent better, hm?” I suggested.

                 “I think that’s going to be the hardest part about all of this. I want you so bad and I can’t have you for a while,” she pouted.

                I leaned down and kissed her. “I know, sweetheart, but I promise when you’re feeling better, I’m going to rock your world.”

                “I’m going to hold you to it,” she said.

                Once I was naked, I turned the shower on, getting both of us wet. I figured since I was already in here with her, I’d shower as well. I grabbed her shampoo and gently lathered it through her hair, watching her relax and close her eyes. After I rinsed it out, I conditioned it and then washed my hair and body while she gingerly washed her torso, trying hard to not hurt herself.

                “I can’t wash my right arm either,” she said pitifully.

                “Leave it to me, sweetheart,” I replied, taking the loofa sponge from her. I washed her right arm and her right leg lightly, not wanting to hurt her. I could see she was getting uncomfortable sitting on the tile bench and I finished washing us both as fast as I could. I turned the water off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around my waist and bringing one into her.

                “I have to stand up to do this,” she whispered, looking as if she was dreading it.

                “Are you sure?” I asked.

                She nodded. Getting her into a standing position was absolute hell as she straightened her poor, battered body out. Each sob that ripped through her chest tore my heart apart and I now knew how my mother felt. Olive’s right hand immediately went to her mouth, but I grabbed it, knowing she was going to bite her fist.

                “Bite my shoulder,” I ground out, not wanting her to be in any pain. She refused, but I pressed the back of her head so her mouth was against my shoulder. “It’s okay, Olive. Bite it.”

                Her teeth sunk into my flesh and I dried her off, feeling her body shake with each move I made and her teeth almost breaking the skin. I felt like crying knowing she was suffering, but I held it together for her. When I was done, I wrapped the towel around her body and sat her back down, her teeth releasing my skin.

                “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” I whispered, stroking her wet hair and pressing my lips against her forehead. I wanted to hold her so bad, but that would do more harm than good. I wiped the tears from her cheeks and let her calm down.

                “I didn’t mean to cry like that,” she told me.

                I shook my head. “It’s okay to cry in front of me, Olive. I know that was awful for you. Let’s get you into some clean clothes and back into bed.”

                She nodded and braced herself as I picked her up. When we got back to the guest room, I set her down on the bed and went into the bathroom, grabbing a glass of water and one of her Vicodins. I had her take it even though she protested that it made her loopy.

                “You’re hurting. It will make you stop hurting,” I reasoned with her.

                I quickly went to my room and changed into a pair of shorts before going back to her to brush out her wet, blonde hair. When I was almost done, she started to sway a little and slump over, a tell-tale sign that the Vicodin was starting to kick in.

                “I can’t feel my lips,” she slurred, lifting her hand up to touch them.

                I chuckled.  “Can you feel this?” I asked, leaning around and pressing my lips against hers. She moaned and ran her fingers through my hair. I broke away, giving her back her hand. “I’m going to take that as a yes.”

                “Why did you stop?” she asked.

                “Because we have to get you dressed,” I answered. 

         “Josh, what I want to do right now does not involve putting any clothes on,” she murmured.

          _Oh, Jesus. Vicodin makes her horny. Fantastic. This should be fun._ “Olive, baby, you’re hurt. We can’t do anything right now,” I reminded her, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do.

         “I’m not hurting, Josh,” she insisted. “Well that’s not true. There is one place I’m hurting.”

         “Where? Are you okay?” I asked, looking to see if any part of her was contorted.

         “Here,” she whispered, taking my hand and shoving it between her legs.

          _Fuck. Wet. So wet. No. STOP!_ I pulled my hand away and got off the bed, taking deep, calming breaths. “Olive, we can’t. You know we can’t,” I pleaded with her.

         “But I want to,” she pouted.

          _She’s pouting. She knows I can’t resist the pout. NO! I have to resist! She’s on pain meds and she’s injured. No sex._ “Olive, please. Almost the entire left side of your body is broken,” I explained.

         Out of nowhere, the waterworks started. “W-why don’t you w-want me?” she cried.

         “Should have listened to my mom when she said not to give her any Vicodin,” I mumbled to myself. “Baby, listen to me. I do want you, so bad, but I gave you pain killers. You’re extremely injured and if you can’t feel it if I hurt you, I could cause more damage. I can’t do that. I won’t do that.”

         Olive looked up at me, her lip trembling and her eyes all watery. “You want me?” she asked in a small voice.

         I blew out a harsh breath and leaned forward, kissing her forehead. “Always,” I assured her.

         She sniffled a little, but finally stopped crying. “Will you make me an ice cream sundae?” she asked.

         I laughed. “Of course I will, Olive. Let’s just get you dressed first, all right?”

         “Okay,” she replied in a small voice. It was a lot easier putting her clothes on since she couldn’t really feel anything, but I was still careful so I didn’t cause more damage. Once we were done, I helped her sit back, against the pillows and turn the television on.

         “One hot fudge sundae coming right up,” I said.

         “Will you eat one with me?” she asked.

         I nodded. “Of course. You know I’ll never say no to ice cream.”

         After making sure Olive was comfortable, I went into the kitchen and prepared two bowls of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, rainbow sprinkles, and whipped cream. When I went back into the bedroom, Olive had a very drugged out smile on her face.

         “What are you smiling about?” I asked.

         “I want to lick the whipped cream off of you,” she blurted out.

         “Christ, Olive, you can’t just say things like that,” I shook my head.

         “Why? You don’t like it when I lick you?” she asked, yet another drugged out smile on her face.

         “I do! I really do, but let’s not talk about that right now. Let’s just eat our ice cream, watch some television, and relax,” I said. I sat on the edge of her bed and placed her ice cream in her lap while I held mine and started to eat. I watched her as she attempted to feed herself, getting ice cream all over her face in her disorientation.

         “How’s that ice cream?” I teased.

         “It’s cold,” she commented.

         I chuckled and took the spoon from her, wiping her face with the washcloth I had left on the nightstand earlier. I took a spoonful of ice cream and fed it to her, watching the smile appear on her face. “So good,” she replied, her mouth full.

         After every bite of my ice cream, I fed her a bite of hers until her eyes started to droop. “Okay, you. Time to get some rest and let your body heal.”

         I put out bowls on the nightstand and helped her lay back in bed. She started to mumble in protest, but she was already unconscious and drooling before her head hit the pillow. I looked down at her and smiled, still upset that she was hurt, but grateful that she was still alive.


	54. Eloise Starting School

  “Do I have to go to school?” Eloise asked quietly as I tucked her in to her small bed.

                I smiled. “Yes, sweetheart, you do.”

                She pouted, obviously not happy with that answer. “I don’t want to, mommy,” she said to me.

                I chuckled. “Well, peanut, I’m afraid you don’t have a choice. I promise you’ll be fine. You’re going to make a lot of new friends, you’re going to learn a lot of new things, and you’re going to have a lot of fun.”

                “Why can’t you and daddy stay with me?” she asked.

                I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Because, Ellie, school is something you need to go to on your own. It’s not for mommies and daddies.” I answered.

                The next day was Eloise’s first day of Kindergarten and she was extremely nervous about it. Josh and I had gone over the option to homeschool her more than once, but in the end, we decided sending her to school so she could be around children her own age was the best idea.

                “How come Eve doesn’t have to go to school?” Ellie wondered.

                “Eve isn’t old enough yet, sweetheart. She’s still a baby,” I explained. After Josh and I had gotten married, we tried for another baby right away, but it just wasn’t happening. After countless doctors’ appointments for both of us with every test coming up negative, we decided to stop trying so hard and let nature take its course. Less than a year ago, we finally got our wish, I was pregnant again. Two months ago, our second child, Evelyn Sophia Hutcherson was born.

                “You’re still awake, peanut?” Josh asked from the doorway.

                “She’s waiting for her daddy to come say goodnight,” I informed him. Josh moved into the room and kissed the top of my head before I stood up and let him take my spot. “Where’s Eve?”

                “In her basinet next to the bed. She’s asleep,” he replied. “Now, are you ready for your first day of school tomorrow?” Josh asked Ellie.

                She pouted yet again and shook her head. “No. I want to stay here with you,” she whined.

                Josh pushed the dark hair off of her face and kissed her forehead. “I know you do, but you have to go to school. I know you’re going to have so much fun making new friends.”

                “What if they don’t like me?” she whispered.

                Josh frowned. “I like you, Ellie, so why wouldn’t everyone else? If they don’t, then they are not worthy of being you’re friend.”

                “You don’t have to worry, sweetheart,” I assured her, hoping inside I was right.

                “For now, you just get some sleep and dream of happy things, all right? I love you, peanut,” he said, kissing her forehead again and standing up.

                “Love you, daddy. Love you, mommy,” she replied. I leaned down to kiss her as well before Josh and I headed out the door, turning her light out so the small nightlight near her bed softly lit the room. We watched as she snuggled deeper into her comforter and pulled her stuffed turtle closer, her eyes drooping shut. Josh and I headed back to our bedroom, quietly getting ready to go to sleep so we wouldn’t wake Evelyn.

                “I hate seeing Ellie so upset,” Josh mumbled, his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.

                “I know, but she needs to go to school. She’ll probably be upset tomorrow when we drop her off, but in a few days, she’ll be all right,” I said, drying my face with a towel.

                “Are you okay? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty stunned that we’re already at this point where our first born is starting school,” he admitted.

                I sighed and leaned back on the countertop. “I’m holding it together. I’m sure I’ll be crying just as much as she will be tomorrow, but for now I’m good.”

                Josh rinsed his mouth out, put his toothbrush back, and held me close. “I’ll probably shed a few tears myself, but I’m so proud of her. Do I think she’s growing up too quickly? Absolutely, but I love seeing every minute of it. I’m also glad we get to experience it all over again with Eve.”

                I nodded against his chest, breathing his clean scent in deeply. “I’m so glad we have Eve,” I whispered, trying not to think of how hard it was for us to finally have her.

                “I know. She’s absolutely perfect,” he agreed. As if Evelyn knew we were talking about her, she let out a loud cry from the bedroom. Josh chuckled. “I’m guessing someone’s hungry.”

                “I’ll go fix her bottle,” I said, sadly removing myself out of Josh’s arms and heading into the kitchen to warm up one of the bottles in the refrigerator. When it was the correct temperature, I headed back into the bedroom where I found Josh on the bed on his side with Evelyn on her back next to him, gurgling happily up at him as he gently rubbed her stomach.

                “Mmmm look, Eve! Mommy brought you your bedtime snack!” he exclaimed, leaning down to place playful kisses on her neck. Evelyn shrieked with laughter, squirming around and grasping his short hair in her fingers. She had just laughed for the first time a few days ago and now we were doing everything we could to get her to do it all the time.

                “I will never get tired of that sound,” I commented, climbing on the bed so Evelyn was in between us. I looked down at her sweet face, her chubby cheeks pulled upwards in a bright smile and her brown eyes lit up just like her father’s.

                “She’s daddy’s little girl,” he said, looking down at her with a bright smile of his own.

                “Both of our girls are daddy’s girls,” I reminded him, rolling my eyes good-naturedly.

                “That is perfectly fine with me,” he nodded. Josh sat up and gently picked Evelyn up so she was cradled in his arms. I handed him her bottle and he held it to her mouth. She started sucking gratefully, cuddling closer to him. I just watched the two of them and smiled. Seeing Josh hold our child protectively and feed her would always be one of my favorite sights. Josh looked up at me and grinned widely. “What?” he asked.

                “Nothing,” I shook my head. “You just look so sexy with a baby in your arms.”

                His eyebrows raised. “Am I turning you on, Mrs. Hutcherson?” he asked.

                I bit my lip. “You always turn me on,” I confessed. We had just gotten the “okay” from the doctor to resume our sex life, but neither of us had made a move to due to sheer exhaustion from taking care of two children.

                “This weekend, Olive. You and I are going to go on a little get away. I’ll have my mom watch the girls and we can go to a spa in Palm Springs. It’ll be just the two of us from a Friday night to a Sunday night. We’ll relax and reconnect,” he promised.

                “That sounds incredible,” I replied. “Are you sure your mom would be up for watching them both, though?” I asked.

                Josh laughed. “Sweetheart, she’s been begging me ever since Eve was born.”

                “Well then, Palm Springs, here we come!” I exclaimed. We both watched Eve finish her bottle in record time and I went to go clean it while Josh burped her. When I came back into the room, Josh was lying Evelyn down in her basinet near my side of the bed. She now had a full stomach and her eyes were drooping shut.

         “Time to get some shut eye. We’ve got a big day tomorrow,” Josh said softly to me. I nodded and both of us climbed into bed, turning the lights out.

         “I love you,” I whispered as he pulled me into his arms.

         “I love you, too,” he whispered back. I let Josh’s heartbeat and breathing lull me to sleep. Evelyn had woken us up twice more that night before the alarm clock went off, alerting us that it was time to start the day. I fed Evelyn while Josh woke up Eloise and made waffles for breakfast. Once the baby was fed, I placed her in her playpen in the living room and went to go help Eloise get ready for school.

         “Mommy, I don’t want to go,” Ellie whined for what seemed like the millionth time.

         I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Eloise Charlotte Hutcherson, you are going to school whether you want to or not. No more arguments,” I said sternly. She pouted, but let me help her get dressed in her new pink sundress for her first day. Once she was done, we went into the kitchen where Josh was finishing up the waffles and talking to Evelyn who was making as many loud noises as she could from her playpen.

         “You don’t say!” Josh said. “Then what happened?”

         I giggled as Evelyn replied in her baby language, even louder than before.

         “Oh my, that must have been tough!” Josh exclaimed, winking at me.

         “Who are you talking to, daddy?” Eloise asked.

         “Your sister. Such a chatterbox this morning,” he teased, leaning down to give her a good morning kiss.

         “But she’s not saying any words! She’s just making noises!” Eloise exclaimed.

         “You did the same thing, kiddo, and I understood you perfectly,” he said, putting a plate of waffles on the table in front of her spot. The three of us ate breakfast together, listening to the sounds of Evelyn’s coos. As I was cleaning up the plates, our front gate rang.

         “That would be your mother,” I commented. She was going to watch Evelyn while Josh and I brought Eloise to school. Josh went to open the gate and let his mother in. As I was finishing loading the dishwasher, Michelle walked into the house.

         “Grandma!” Eloise shrieked, running into her arms.

         “Hi, my sweetheart! Look at you in your pretty pink dress! Are you excited for your first day of school?” she asked, bending down to hug her.

         “No,” was Eloise’s reply. “I want to stay here with you, mommy, daddy, and Eve.”

         Michelle smiled down at her. “I know you do, but you need to go to school so you can learn and make lots of friends!”

         “Hi, mom,” Josh greeted, giving his mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I walked over and hugged her as well.

         “Emotional today?” she asked me quietly.

         I nodded. “Trying to hold it together until she’s in her classroom,” I replied.

         “I know, Olive, I was the same way with Josh and Connor,” she told me.

         I pulled away and swallowed hard. “Okay, Ellie. Time to brush your teeth, comb your hair, and then it’s time to go.”

         I helped her brush her teeth and put her hair in a ponytail before the three of us headed out the door, leaving Michelle and Evelyn behind. Eloise was going to the Wonderland Elementary School in Laurel Canyon since it was the closest to our home. The whole way there, Josh tried engaging her in conversation to get her excited while I stared out the window, trying not to cry.

         “We’re here!” Josh announced, pulling into a space in the parking lot. Buses were lined up, dropping kids off as well as parents taking their child into the building. We all got out of the car and Eloise walked in between us, holding both of out hands tightly. The nervous energy was just radiating off of her.

         “Here we are, classroom fifteen,” Josh said, steering us into the room. It was crowded with children playing and crying, as well as parents talking to the teacher and each other. Once the teacher saw us walk in, she smiled brightly and walked over.

         “Hi, I’m Morgan Levine. You’re Josh Hutcherson!” she said excitedly, completely ignoring Eloise and me.

         Josh smiled and shook her hand. “Yes, it’s our daughter’s first day in your class. This is my wife, Olive,” he introduced us.

         She looked at me a little ruefully, but shook my hand.  _That’s right, he’s my husband, keep your hands off._ “So nice to meet you,” I said pleasantly. “And this is our daughter, Eloise.”

         Morgan bent down and smiled warmly. “Hi, Eloise! I’m your teacher, Miss Levine! I can’t wait to teach you all new things!” she said excitedly. Eloise hid behind me, not saying anything.

         “She’s shy,” Josh explained.

         Morgan waved him off. “She wouldn’t be the only one! Well, you can go find her name in her cubby as well as in front of where she will be sitting.”

         “Thank you,” I replied. We took Eloise over to her cubby where we stored her backpack before finding her seat at one of the large, round tables.

         Josh kneeled down while I helped her into her seat. “See sweetheart, it’s not so bad. Miss Levine is nice and you have your own seat and cubby,” he said to her.

         Her bottom lip was quivering and I knew a waterfall of tears were coming. “You’re going to have a great first day,” I told her reassuringly. Miss Levine took her spot at the front of the classroom, signaling that it was time for the parents to leave and for class to begin.

         “You’re going to be okay, baby. We’re going to pick you up in a few hours, all right?” Josh soothed. Since it was the first day of school, kindergarteners only had a half-day.

         “No,” Eloise whimpered, the tears filling her eyes.

         “Ellie, we have to leave. We promise, we’ll be back before you know it,” I promised.

         “No,” she said again, this time a little louder. She started to sniffle and threw herself into my arms, sobbing loudly. I looked apologetically at Morgan before Josh and I took her out of the room.

         “Baby, shhhhh. It’s okay. There’s no reason to cry,” I soothed, rubbing her back.

         “Don’t go!” she sobbed, her tears soaking into my shirt. I looked helplessly at Josh, about to have a breakdown of my own.

         Josh took her from my arms and held her close, swaying back and forth gently. “Calm down, Ellie. You’re going to be fine,” he told her. Once her cries quieted down, he set her on her feet and kneeled in front of her. “Are you a big girl, Ellie?” he asked her.

         “Yeah,” she hiccupped.

         “Then why are you crying? The other girls in your class aren’t crying. They’re in there ready to learn and make new friends. Don’t you want to learn and be friends with them?” he asked.

         She nodded. “I want you to stay, though!”

         “I know you do, sweetheart, but mommy and daddy can’t be there every second of your day. There are things in life, like school, that you need to experience on your own, all right?” I reasoned with her. “We’re not going away forever, it’s just a few hours. You may even have so much fun that you won’t have time to miss us.”

         “R-really?” she stuttered, looking up at me with her blue eyes.

         Josh nodded and smiled. “Really. Now, go in there, be a big girl, and learn some new things while making friends,” he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

         “We’ll see you in a few hours, baby,” I whispered, also kissing her cheek. Josh opened the classroom door and watched as Eloise made it back to her seat. Once she was there, he closed the door and the two of us walked hand in hand back to the car. As soon as my door was shut, I started to cry.

         “Shhhh,” Josh comforted me, holding me as close as he could over the center console.

         “Our baby is growing up,” I cried.

         “I know, but she will always be our baby. She’s going to be great. How could she not? She’s half you and half me,” he chuckled.

         “I’m so proud of her, but I wish she could stay little forever,” I admitted.

         Josh nodded and kissed the top of my head. “I know.”

         It was tough watching her grow up and start her first day of school, but this was a major milestone, and I was glad I didn’t miss it.


	55. Olive In An Accident, Part 3

                Nine weeks. That’s how long it had been since Olive’s car accident. Her arm cast had been removed three weeks prior and her leg brace had been replaced with a soft one so she could now bend her leg. I paid to have a physical therapist come to the house three times a week to help get her muscles strong again and help with her knee. They had replaced the knee cap and her therapist was now trying to help her learn to walk with it and bear weight on it. So far, it was painful and extremely difficult, but she was starting to get the hang of it. She could walk with the aid of crutches, but she had a severe limp. Whenever she would have her therapy, she would make me leave, not wanting me to be there to watch her. I understood, but I wasn’t going to judge her.

                Today would be the first time she would be leaving the property since coming home from the hospital. The doctor had come to the house to remove her casts, but today he was booked up so we needed to go into his office.

                “Are you almost ready?” I asked, popping my head into the bathroom. Olive was sitting on a chair in front of the mirror, wearing a tank top, shorts, and flip flops, putting her hear into a ponytail.

                “Yes,” she said. Once she was finished, I helped her up and handed her crutches to her. She gave me a small smile and followed me out to the car at a slow pace. Once I helped her in, I walked around to the driver’s side and started the engine.

                “You okay?” I asked, seeing that she looked extremely tense.

                She nodded. “I’m okay… just haven’t been in a car since…” she trailed off.

                I reached over the center console and gently grabbed her hand. “I promise I’m going to drive safe, sweetheart. Nothing is going to happen.”

                She nodded, leaning her head back on the headrest and closing her eyes. Ever since she started physical therapy, Olive had been acting a little off. She was quieter and a lot more jumpy. I just chalked it up to all of the hard work she’d been doing, but I was getting worried it was something deeper than that. I drove us to her doctor’s office, Olive not once opening her eyes or relaxing her posture until I had pulled safely into a parking space.

                “Olive? You ready?” I asked.

                She opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied. I got out of the car and walked around to her side, grabbing her crutches from the backseat and helping her out of the car. Getting into the building took us a bit, but she seemed to relax more once we were in the waiting room.

                “Olive Fairs is here to see Doctor Michaelson,” I informed the receptionist.

                “All right, you can have a seat and we’ll call her back when the doctor is ready,” she replied. I thanked her before going to sit back over next to Olive.

                “They’ll call you back in a few minutes,” I told her.

                “All right,” she replied, looking down at her fingers. I turned in my seat so I was facing her and lifted her chin up until our eyes met.

“Olive, are you okay? You’ve been acting off the past few weeks,” I said.

                She pulled her chin out of my hand. “Josh, I’m fine. You don’t have to ask me every five seconds,” she mumbled.

                I sighed and sat back, frustrated that she wouldn’t tell me the truth.

                “Olive Fairs?” one of the nurses called. I stood up and helped Olive get to her feet.

                “I’ll see you when I come out,” she said, starting to hobble away.

                “I’m going in with you,” I insisted.

                “No, Josh. I’ll be out in a little bit,” she said.

                I shook my head and followed her. “Olive, I’m coming in with you.”

                Olive sighed, but didn’t argue with me anymore. The nurse led us back to an examination room and we both helped Olive up onto the table. Her blood pressure was taken and it was a little bit high, but it was most likely due to nerves. When the nurse was finished, she went to go get the doctor, leaving Olive and me alone.

                “Sweetheart, will you please talk to me? I’m starting to freak out here,” I pleaded.

                “I’m fine Josh, really. You don’t have to be in here. He’s just going to make sure everything is in order,” she replied, avoiding my gaze.

                I stood up and walked over to her until I was standing in front of her, right between her legs. “Olive, that is complete bullshit and you know it.”

                She bit her lip and I could see some flicker of emotion in her eyes. Before I could say anything else, Doctor Michaelson came into the room, making me step away and sit back down.

                “Olive, Josh, good to see you both again,” he greeted.

                “You too,” I replied. Olive gave a slight smile.

                “All right, well let’s see how that knee is doing, shall we?” he suggested. Olive laid down on the table, the paper crinkling under her every move. Once she was situated, the doctor removed the brace and picked her leg up. I watched her the whole time, staring at the ceiling with no expression on her face until he started to bend her knee.

                In an instant I was by her side, holding her hand tightly as she cried out, closing her eyes to keep the tears from falling.

                “It’s still a bit stiff, but with more physical therapy, it will loosen up,” the doctor said. “Let’s try bending it just a little bit farther.”

                “STOP!” Olive screamed, almost completely shooting off the table when he pushed her leg back farther.

                “You’re hurting her!” I exclaimed in a panic. Doctor Michaelson gently set her leg down, leaving Olive lying there taking heaving breaths to calm herself down.

                “It’s going to hurt for a while. In a few weeks, we’ll try that again and hopefully it will be easier,” he said.

                For the rest of the exam, Olive refused to look at me. I was really starting to worry that she was unhappy with me and didn’t know how to say it. _Had spending pretty much every second together over the past few weeks drive her away? Was she sick of me?_

                “I’ll be keeping in touch with your therapist over the next few weeks to see how you’re progressing and then we’ll make your next appointment,” Doctor Michaelson explained.

                “Okay,” Olive replied quietly.

                When we were leaving the office, I stopped Olive before we could reach the parking lot. “Olive, do you love me?” I asked.

                She looked at me in surprise. “Of course I love you, more than anything. Why would you ask me that?”

                “Because, you’ve been really distant lately. I feel like you don’t even want me around anymore,” I confessed.

                “Josh, that’s not true. I love you so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she told me.

                I was about to reply when I heard a clicking noise coming from behind me. Olive’s eyes were wide and she looked absolutely terrified. I turned around and saw three photographers, only a few feet away, taking pictures of us.

                “Josh, please, get me out of here,” she begged.

                “All right, let’s go,” I agreed, leading her back to the car. They stayed a safe distance behind us, but they were still following us and snapping pictures.

                “Josh, we need to get out of here now!” she exclaimed, now starting to hyperventilate.

                “Olive, relax, we’re right here,” I said, opening the passenger door for her. She practically threw herself in the car and slammed the door shut. I ran around to the driver’s side and when I got in, Olive was having a full blown panic attack.

                “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t,” she was mumbling to herself, her face in her hands and she was shaking like a leaf.

                “Baby, what’s wrong?” I asked, starting to freak out myself.

                “Get me out of here!” she repeated. I didn’t hesitate and started the car, quickly peeling out of the parking lot. Once we were far enough away, I pulled off onto a private road and put the car in park.

                “Olive, tell me what’s wrong,” I pleaded.

                “Make them go away, Josh!” she was crying now, starting to boarder on going into hysterics. I pulled her hands away from her face and held her close to me, rubbing my hand up and down her back. I felt like the biggest idiot in the planet. Obviously, Olive had been physically injured by her accident, but I didn’t even think about the emotional impact it would have on her.

                “Shhh, baby I’m right here. I won’t let them hurt you again,” I promised, running my fingers through her hair. I pulled away slightly so I could look at her. “You don’t have to be afraid, Olive.”

                She had calmed down a little, but was still shaking. “Can we go home?” she asked in a small voice.

                “Of course,” I responded. Olive pulled herself out of my arms and sat back in her seat, taking deep breaths. The rest of the drive home, she stayed silent, but both of her hands gripped one of mine tightly, as if she was holding on for dear life. When we got back to the house, I carried Olive inside since it was easier than her walking down the brick steps. I took her into the living room and sat her on the couch, immediately wrapping my arms back around her.

                “Will you talk to me, Olive? You’ve been so distant lately and I want to know what’s going on inside your head. Don’t be embarrassed,” I pleaded.

                She sniffled and looked up at me. “I’m scared, Josh,” she admitted.

                “Okay, what are you scared of?” I asked.

                “I’m scared of being in a car. I’m scared of photographers. I’m scared I’m never going to walk normal again. I’m scared I’m going to be in pain for the rest of my life. I’m scared you’re going to eventually going to get sick of me being like this all the time, but most of all, I’m scared that I’m  _always_ going to be scared,” she listed, tears falling down her cheeks.

                I shook my head and wiped them away, even though more followed. “Sweetheart, why haven’t you told me about any of this? I thought we were past the whole embarrassment stage. There is nothing wrong with being afraid. What you went through was traumatic and would have scarred anyone. You’re not weak for being scared of all those things; it just makes you human. You don’t always have to be strong, Olive. I can be strong for you when you can’t be. That’s the way a relationship works,” I explained.

                “But you’ve been strong for me for two months!” she exclaimed, frustrated. “I want to be normal again, Josh. I want to be me again.”

                “You are you, Olive,” I said fiercely, looking into her eyes. “You will always be you. This isn’t something that can fix itself over night. I will be strong for you forever if I have to.”

                She scoffed. “I’m not me, Josh. Look at me! In our entire relationship, have you ever seen me cry as much as I have since this accident? Have you ever seen me so scared or so distant?” she asked.

                “I am looking at you Olive. The only thing I see is the woman I love more than anything,” I murmured. “Yes, you have been crying a lot and you are scared and distant, but you were hurt; physically and mentally. Things like this take time.”

                She sighed. “I love you too, Josh. I’m sorry I’m so fucked up right now. I’m just trying to get back to normal. I’m trying to get us back to what we used to be. I hate that our relationship has pretty much become just you taking care of me all of the time. I want us to be goofy and playful again. I want the romance back. I want our sex life back,” she admitted.

                “We can have all of that Olive, but you have to stop pulling away from me. It’s been so hard not seeing you smile. I want to see that again. I want to see you smiling and laughing, and trust me, I most definitely want our sex life back,” I said.

                Olive giggled and wiped away her tears. I smiled wide since it was the first time and sort of laugh had left her in weeks. “Thank you for being so patient with me. I know I should have told you about all of that sooner. It helped, but that doesn’t mean I’m still not afraid.”

                “I know that, Olive. Baby steps, all right? We’ll take everything as it comes,” I promised her, leaning forward to kiss her softly. “Now, about our sex life.”

                She laughed loudly and I relished hearing the sound. “What about it?” she asked.

                “Since you miss it just as much as I do, maybe we can work on that tonight?” I wagered.

                She rolled her eyes and threw her arms around my neck. “Why wait for tonight? Now works just fine,” she murmured, leaning forward to kiss me deeply.

                We had made progress, but I knew the journey to everything being back to normal was far from over. For now though, everything was all right.


	56. Josh and Olive's Palm Springs Getaway

 “Are you sure about this, Michelle?” I asked Josh’s mom for what seemed to be the millionth time.

                “Olive, relax. I had two kids myself. It’s going to be no problem,” she insisted, gently patting me on the arm. It was Friday afternoon and Josh was picking Eloise up from school before we were going to head down to Palm Springs for a weekend of relaxation and reconnecting. The day Eloise started school, Josh had called his travel agent and made all the arrangements. I was excited, but I was also felt bad because we were leaving his mom with the girls.

                “I just feel bad leaving you by yourself with a rambunctious five year old and a sick, screaming two month old,” I admitted.

                Michelle chuckled. “Honey, I dealt with Josh and Connor growing up, I can handle Ellie and Eve,” she assured me. I sighed and shifted Evelyn in my arms. She was currently sleeping, but I knew it wouldn’t last long. She had been up all night, crying and with a fever. Josh and I had barely gotten any sleep and I was afraid we were going to have to cancel our weekend.

                “Poor thing,” I commented. “If she gets any worse, please, don’t hesitate to call us and we’ll come right home.”

                “I will, Olive, but she’ll be fine. It’s just a little head cold. I don’t mind taking care of her. I love spending time with my granddaughters,” she said.

                I heard Eloise’s giggle sound throughout the house as her and Josh walked in the front door. “And then, he ate the paste!” she shrieked.

                “He ate paste? Yucky!” Josh exclaimed. At the loud noises, Evelyn woke up and started to cry. I sighed, feeling as if I was about to cry with her.

                Josh and Eloise came into the room and Josh looked guilty, knowing he had woken her up. “I’m sorry baby, let me take her,” he offered.

                I happily handed over our screaming baby to him and Eloise immediately jumped into my arms to say hi before moving onto Josh’s mom.

                “Why don’t you two take the baby into the bedroom, calm her down, and get your things,” Michelle suggested.

                “That sounds like a great idea,” I agreed, standing up and following Josh and Evelyn into our bedroom.

                “She still has a fever,” he frowned, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead.

                I sighed and rubbed my temples. “I know. I told your mom that we could cancel our trip, but she refuses to let us.”

                Josh swayed back and forth, rubbing his hand up and down Evelyn’s back until she stopped crying. “I feel bad leaving her when she’s sick,” he admitted.

                “I do to,” I whispered. “Come on, let’s go tell your mom we’re cancelling.”

                Josh nodded and followed me, still soothing the baby. When we got back into the living room, Eloise had finished telling Michelle about her day.

                “Mom,” Josh said when he was finished. “I think we’re just going to stay here for the weekend.”

                Michelle shook her head and scoffed. “Josh, everything is going to be fine. You two are going to run yourselves ragged if you don’t relax and take a break. I’m not asking you, I’m telling you; go on your trip. If anything happens with Eloise or if Evelyn gets worse, I promise, I will call you, but nothing is going to happen.”

                “Are you sure?” Josh asked once more.

                “If you ask me that again, I’m going to smack you. You may be an adult with your own children now, but I’m still your mother and I can still smack you,” she threatened, causing Eloise to giggle.

                “Think that’s funny, kiddo?” Josh asked, giving her a wink.

                “Now, go get your suitcases and get on the road. You don’t want to get there too late,” she said, taking Evelyn from his arms.

                Josh and I reluctantly went into our bedroom and wheeled our packed suitcases out into the hallway near the front door. When we went back into the living room, Michelle was sitting on the couch, Evelyn dozing off in her arms and Eloise sitting on the floor, coloring in her coloring books.

                “Ellie, come say bye to mommy and daddy,” I told her.

                She immediately jumped to her feet and ran over, throwing herself into my arms. “You be good for grandma, all right? Clean up after yourself and help her with Eve if she needs it,” I reminded her.

                “I will mommy. Will you call me in the morning?” she asked.

                “Of course we will. I love you, sweetpea,” I whispered and gave her a big kiss.

                “Love you too, Mommy,” she said. I passed her over to Josh and went to Michelle and Evelyn.

                “I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but call if you need anything and we’ll be on our way back,” I told her.

                “I know. Relax, Olive. Nothing is going to go wrong. You and Josh just have a nice relaxing weekend and recharge,” she said.

                I leaned down and kissed my baby before hugging Michelle goodbye. Josh said goodbye to Evelyn and Michelle as well and we headed out the door. Josh put our bags in the trunk and before I knew it, we were on the Ten heading east towards Palm Springs. We were not going to be staying in Palm Springs, but in nearby Indian Wells at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort. Josh had gotten us a private villa and booked us a Saturday full of massages, facials, and utter relaxation.

                “I can’t believe we’re finally getting a weekend alone,” I said in astonishment.

                Josh nodded. “I know. Just you and me, alone, getting massages and having an insane amount of sex,” he murmured, holding my hand in his.

                I bit my lip and shifted in my seat. We hadn’t had sex since before Evelyn was born and I was extremely anxious to just get Josh alone and have my way with him. “I can’t wait,” I whispered.

                Josh smirked. “I can see that. Are you turned on, Olive? Are you thinking about me gently running my fingers down your stomach, up your thighs, and then following that path with my tongue? Because that’s all I can think about,” he admitted huskily.

                “Fuck, Josh. Are we there yet?” I asked anxiously.

                “I wish, baby. We still have about two more hours to go,” he replied sadly.

                “Dammit,” I mumbled. For the next half hour, I sat there, trying to keep still and not think about all the dirty things I wanted to do with my husband. I was very aware of his scent filling the car, the smell of his cologne and aftershave permeating my nostrils. I looked at myself in the side mirror and saw my pupils were dilated and I could feel my heart beating out of my chest.

                I looked over at Josh, staring at his perfectly carved jaw, the well-defined lean muscles of his arms and torso through his tight black t-shirt, the thick, strong muscles of his thighs through his jeans as well as the bulge in his crotch. I knew he was just as horny as I was.

                “Fuck it,” I growled and leaned over, unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans.

                “Jesus, Olive! What are you doing?” he asked, making no move to stop me.

                “What does it look like I’m doing, Josh? I’m going to suck your cock,” I said, placing a kiss on his neck while freeing his erection from his boxers.

                “Holy shit,” he whispered. I shifted in my seat, adjusting my seatbelt and leaning over the center console. We had never done this while he was driving before and I was pretty excited about it. I was also grateful the windows were tinted so no one would be able to see.

                “You want me, Josh?” I asked.

                “Fuck yeah, I want you. I always want you,” he replied.

                “Mmmm,” I responded before taking him into my mouth.

                “Jesus fucking Christ!” he exclaimed, his thighs tensing. I worked him up and down slowly, letting my tongue tease and drag along his length. I felt the fingers of one of his hands thread through my hair, guiding me up and down.

         I slowly pulled him out of my mouth and fan my hand up and down him, using my saliva as lubrication.

         “You like that?” I asked looking up at him. The knuckles on his left hand were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard and I could tell he was trying to concentrate on not crashing the car.

         “You have no idea, baby. Please don’t stop,” he begged.

         “Trust me, I won’t,” I said, taking him back into my mouth and still using my hand on the part that I couldn’t fit.

         “Fuck that’s so good. Your mouth, Olive, I can’t even,” he murmured. I sucked Josh off in earnest, moaning around him and squirming around to try and give myself some friction. Going down on him always turned me on, but there wasn’t enough room to even half-ass grind myself against the seat.

         “Take your panties off, Olive,” he pleaded. I popped him out of my mouth and looked up at him questioningly. “Take them off and pull your dress up.”

         I smiled, getting even more excited and wiggled around, pulling my panties down and finally off, pulling the bottom of my dress off to show Josh my freshly waxed area. He glanced over momentarily and swallowed hard. “Like what you see?” I asked.

         “Like it? I’m about to pull over and shove my tongue in it,” he responded, reaching down to stroke himself. The rush of wetness was instant and I moaned at his words and actions.

         “Come back over here and finish what you started, this time touching yourself. I want to see it,” he whispered.

         My body was shaking at his command and I leaned back over, spreading my legs to give him a good view and started to suck him again, stroking myself to the same rhythm. I was wet and my fingers moved smoothly over my flesh, making me whimper.

         “Fuck, baby, that’s so hot. I can see how wet you are from here. Put your fingers inside and then let me have a taste,” he instructed.

          _Kinky Josh is out to play. Well then, let’s play._ I slid two fingers inside easily and had to pull away from Josh to gasp. It wasn’t as good as his fingers, but it still felt incredible. I whimpered as I pulled them out, wanting to keep going, but I held them up to Josh’s lips and put him back in my mouth, working him into a frenzy as he sucked on my fingers.

         He was groaning around my fingers, his thighs tensing even more. I pulled my fingers out of his mouth and he was panting.

         “More, Olive. Keep doing that,” he begged. For the next ten minutes, I shoved my fingers inside of me before letting Josh taste me while I got him off with my mouth. I could tell the car had slowed down considerably and as he got closer to his orgasm.

         “Shit, I’m close,” he panted. I sucked him even harder until he was moaning and coming, giving me everything he had. I swallowed every drop before sitting back up, my face hot and my hair a complete mess from his fingers. I was also still shaking like a leaf, needing to come just as bad.

         “Josh, please,” I begged.

         “Fuck it,” he gasped, pulling off of the Ten into the small town of Cabazon. He quickly found a secluded street and since it was almost dark, we wouldn’t be seen. He put the car in park, turned the ignition off, and pulled me over so he could kiss me.

         We made out heavily, moaning into each other’s mouths until Josh leaned his seat all the way back until he was practically lying down. He pulled me on top of him, pulling the top of my dress down so he could pay homage to my breasts, licking and sucking until I was grinding myself against his thigh.

         “I need you,” I whimpered.

         “Come up here. I told you I was going to pull over and shove my tongue in you,” he said.

         I wasted no time in clambering around, trying not to hit my head on the roof, until I was straddling his face, leaning forward so I could hold on to the headrest in the backseat.

         “JOSH!” I cried out as he pulled my hips down and started to lick me just the way I liked it.

         “Oh God, yes, just like that,” I moaned out, shamelessly grinding myself against his face. It felt so good and I could feel myself breaking out in a sweat, slipping against the leather of the backseat.

         Josh’s fingers dug into my hips and he never once let up the movements of his tongue, the gentle nibbling of his teeth, or the perfect suction of his lips.

         “So good, baby. I’m so close,” I told him, my vision becoming fuzzy as I took all the pleasure I could from him.

         With a loud cry, I practically shoved myself down on his mouth as I came all over his face. He moaned against me and licked up every drop, not letting me pull away until he was finished no matter how sensitive I was becoming.

         I slumped forward and pulled myself up so he could sit as I spasmed and twitched, trying to come down from my high. Josh’s hand ran softly up and down my back, but even that felt like too much stimulation. After going so long without a release, I needed to recuperate before I could handle anymore.

         “You okay?” he whispered, Kinky Josh now gone and being replaced by Loving, Gentle Josh.

         “Yeah. That was intense,” I admitted. Once I caught my breath, Josh helped me back into the passenger seat because my legs felt like complete jelly. I buckled my seatbelt and Josh fixed his seat before starting the car again. I went to put my panties back on, but Josh stopped me.

         “Olive, I’m going to fuck your brains out as soon as that door to our villa is shut. There is no need to put those back on,” he informed me.

          _And Kinky Josh is back._  I smiled. “Would you like me to spend the rest of the ride with my skirt around my waist?” I asked.

         “Good idea. Please do,” he said.

         I fixed the bottom of my dress so Josh had a clear view before leaning back in against the headrest. The sun was almost set, leaving the sky a light purple. I closed my eyes as Josh pulled back onto the Ten and let myself drift off. What felt like a few minutes later, I was being awoken by a soft fluttering on my inner thigh.

         I slowly opened my eyes to see Josh staring intently at me, his fingers running up and down my thigh, making me tingle.

         “We’re here,” he whispered before moving his fingers higher and stroking me.

         “Mmmmm,” I hummed, enjoying my wakeup.

         “Watching you sleep, your thighs spread wide and everything on display for me as I drove, was torture. I’m so hard for you, baby. When we get into that villa, I’m getting you naked,” he murmured, slowly pushing two fingers into me. I was definitely awake now and almost flowing like the Nile around his fingers.

         “Josh,” I moaned, letting my head fall back again.

         “No more foreplay, Olive. I’m not kidding, when that door shuts and our clothes are gone, I’m fucking you hard,” he informed me.

         With that, he pulled his fingers out and I whimpered at the loss. He smirked before getting out of the car while I grumbled and fixed my dress, shoving my panties into my purse. He opened my door for me and helped me out. I stretched and yawned, my muscles a bit sore from my sleeping position. Josh got our bags from the trunk and I followed him towards the front entrance.

         The Hyatt Grand Champions was absolutely beautiful and I couldn’t wait to spend the next two nights here alone with my husband. The lobby was spectacular with slated floors, black and deep purple couches, and brilliant white walls. Josh led us up to the front desk where a woman was waiting.

         “Mr. and Mrs. Hutcherson?” she asked.

         “That would be us,” Josh replied politely.

         She smiled. “We’ve been waiting for you. Welcome to the Hyatt. I have you booked into our Presidential Villa for the next two nights,” she told us.

         I looked at Josh and raised my eyebrows. “Presidential Villa?” I questioned.

         “Hey, we haven’t gone anywhere alone in forever. I want this to be special,” he said, giving me a smile.

         Josh gave her a credit card to keep on file and she handed us our room key. We didn’t need anyone to help with the bags, so we went back outside and found our way to the Presidential Villa. Josh slid the key card in the slot, unlocking the door. When we went inside, he turned on the light to reveal an incredibly beautiful living area with just a peek of the bedroom through a side door.

         “Tour later, fuck now,” he said, dropping our bags, grabbing me by the waist, and pushing me up against the back of the door.

         I gasped as our tongues explored each other’s mouths and our hands frantically ripped at each other’s clothes. He pulled me backwards until we were in the bedroom and he flipped the light on. I gasped and pulled away, trying to cover myself up.

         “The windows, Josh!” I cried.

         “It’s a private Villa, sweetheart, no one can see,” he reasoned.

         “There might be some creepy night gardener or something lurking back there, just waiting to take pictures of Josh Hutcherson fucking his wife so he can sell them to the tabloids!” It sounded ridiculous even to my ears, but I was still nervous.

         “All right, I’ll close them,” he said, stepping away to close the curtains. I looked around the large, well-decorated room with awe. It really was incredible.

         “Now, where were we?” he asked, coming back to me. The rest of our clothes were shed in an instant and I pushed him until he was sitting on the white bench at the end of the bed.

         “Need you now,” I murmured, straddling his lap and impaling myself on him.

         We both cried out in unison, finally feeling complete after so long without having each other. It stung a little bit so I gave myself time to adjust and kissed him slowly.

         “You okay?” he whispered against my lips, never wanting to hurt me.

         I nodded. “Been so long. Just need a minute,” I explained. Josh’s fingers ran up my back and into my hair as I began to move over him, circling my hips against his to create a delicious friction.

         “Jesus, baby, you feel amazing,” he breathed against my skin. Josh helped me move, thrusting his hips up to meet mine.

         “Can’t go that long again. I need you so bad,” I begged him. Of course we both knew if we were to have another child, we’d be in the same boat, but for now, there was no way we were going to go two months without sex again.

         Josh stood up, still inside of me and laid me back on the bed, kneeling on the bench.

         “You look so sexy like this, Olive, just begging for me,” he commented, slamming his hips against mine.

         I was constantly moaning now with each hard thrust he gave, trying to hold out on my orgasm. I pulled him down so I could kiss him, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

         I’d always loved kissing Josh, especially when making love to him. It was a heady combination, feeling him move inside of me while his lips moved against mine. It was as intimate as you could get with a person.

         “I love you,” I breathed against his lips.

         “And I love you,” he whispered back.

         “Let me turn around,” I pleaded, wanting to finish with a bang. Josh pulled out and I turned over so I was on my knees in front of him, holding onto the bed for support.

         Josh leaned forward a bit so his chest was against my back and he slid back into me. I threw my head back against his shoulder and grabbed his hand, moving it from my hip to in between my thighs.

         “Yes,” I whispered as he stroked me, his fingers circling just right.

         “Mmm baby you feel so good,” he said huskily, kissing my neck and shoulder while one hand was squeezing my breast and the other was still rubbing above where we were joined.

         I was on complete sensory overload and my hips started to buck back against his. I was groaning with every thrust, my body twitching and shaking as my orgasm loomed closer.

         I knew Josh was right there with me by the change in his breathing and the fact that he was fucking me with abandoned.

         “Come on me baby. Let me feel it,” he encouraged, rubbing his fingers against me harder.

         With a shout of his names to the heavens, I came hard, squeezing around him and milking his orgasm out of him as well. We collapsed against the bed. His erection still inside of me as we rode through the aftershocks and tried to calm our racing hearts.

         “You’re amazing, Mrs. Hutcherson,” he whispered, kissing the shell of my ear. I hummed, feeling completely spent again as he slowly pulled out, making me whimper at the loss of him.

         Josh and I crawled into bed after he shut the lights out, too tired to do anything else.

         “I have a feeling this is going to be an amazing weekend,” I said.

         “We’re alone in this beautiful Villa. No spilled glasses of milk, no sick babies crying all night, no crayons all over the floor; just us. For the next two nights, it’s just you and I, getting massages and having incredible sex. Of course it’s going to be amazing,” he replied.

         I giggled. “Well, when you put it that way, then it definitely will be,” I agreed.

        

That night, Josh and I laid in each other’s arms, alone and relaxed for the first time in months. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.


	57. Josh Taking Olive to Disney World

              Growing up, my family was not rich. Our vacations were always taken some place close by like Lake George, Niagra Falls, or Montauk; somewhere that my parents could afford. We lived in a small, modest apartment in Manhattan that was luckily rent controlled so it wasn’t costing a fortune to live in. My father worked for the cable company and my mother was a secretary. Neither pulled in a lot of money, but that didn’t matter. They loved me and gave me the best life they could. Unfortunately, they had passed away within a year of each other just as I had started college.

                With two life insurance policies now in my name, I transferred schools and decided to take my new life to California. It was the first time I had ever been on a plane and the first time I had ever left the Northeast. Growing up in New York City, I thought I would find Los Angeles to be similar. It was actually quite the opposite, but I didn’t mind it one bit. I got myself a job, an apartment, a car, and made a lot of friends while attending classes at the University of Southern California. I was happy again and I didn’t think anything could make me happier.

 

                Then I met Josh. We didn’t meet on the street bumping into each other. We didn’t meet at a Starbucks or at a grocery store, reaching for the same thing on the shelf. No, I met Josh at Drag Queen Bingo in West Hollywood. His charity, Straight, But Not Narrow, was hosting the event and he and his best friend Avan were the celebrity guests. It was at a burger joint that served great food and delicious drinks, so my friends and I decided to go. I remember thinking to myself how cute I thought he was in his white t-shirt with a plaid button up over it.

                He was enthusiastic while calling out numbers and making cheesy jokes. Most of them weren’t that funny, but he laughed at them which made me giggle as well. He didn’t even notice me until I was lucky enough to have a Bingo.

                “Our first winner! What’s your name?” he asked over the microphone.

                “Olive!” I called back.

                “Congratulations, Olive! Come claim your prize at the end of the night!” he told me.

                For the rest of the night, I drank cocktails and stared at Josh, wishing he was going to be my prize. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Josh handed me over my winnings, congratulated me again, and that was the end of that. It wasn’t until two days later I was at a gas station using my Bingo money to fill my tank up that I actually got to talk to him. He pulled his BMW into the pump across from mine and my heart pounded loudly in my chest.

                “Hey, you’re Olive, right? You won the first round of Bingo the other night,” he said thoughtfully.

                I nodded. “Yeah, I’m glad I did. It’s all going into my gas tank at the moment,” I replied, gesturing to the pump.

                He laughed. “That’s too bad you couldn’t use it to buy yourself something better,” he said. Josh and I made small talk while we filled our gas tanks up. He was really sweet and had an infectious laugh. “Hey, so I’m having a small get together at my place later tonight if you and your friends want to stop by,” he invited.

                “Um, sure. That sounds nice,” I accepted.

                Josh and I exchanged phone numbers and he gave me his address before I drove off back to my apartment. That night, my friends and I went to Josh’s house for his small get together which wasn’t really small at all. It consisted of about thirty people and there were two kegs in the backyard. Now, I guess you’re thinking at this point Josh and I talked all night long in a secluded corner, made love while the sun came up, and lived happily ever after? Wrong again. All we did was get extremely drunk, shit talk while playing beer pong and flip cup against each other, before passing out on the floor in his living room.

                That was the beginning of our unconventional friendship. He was the person I could call when I had a horrible day at work and curse up a storm before he invited me over to drink beer and eat pizza. He was the one who had no problem telling me when I was being ridiculous and I had no problem telling him what a huge idiot he was being.

                After a particularly bad week at work, I had gone to Josh’s to vent, have a few drinks, and relax. That was when sex had gotten mixed into the equation. The first time Josh and I had sex, it was on his kitchen floor. We were fighting over the last slice of pizza and the next thing I knew, I was being tackled to the ground and his lips were on mine. Clothes started flying everywhere and before either one of us could think about it, he was inside me, fucking me like I had never been fucked before. It was the best sex I’d ever had and I questioned afterwards why we hadn’t done it sooner.

                Over the next six months, our relationship grew from friends with benefits to boyfriend and girlfriend. Josh was a fantastic boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean he was perfect. We had gotten into our fair share of arguments and Josh had asshole tendencies just like every other guy, but I wouldn’t change what we had for the world. Now, a year later, we were stronger than ever.

                “I got you something special for our anniversary,” he told me as we drove back to my apartment from dinner that night.

                “Yeah? Does it involve being naked?” I asked seductively.

                Josh laugh and rubbed his hand on my knee. “Well, I do plan on kissing every single inch of your body and making your headboard possibly put a hole in the wall, but that’s not the surprise.”

                I pouted and tried to think of what else it could possibly be. “What is it then?”

                “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. I’ll give you a hint, it does not involve sex, but you’re going to love it,” he promised.

                “Anything you give me I’ll love,” I told him truthfully. “Unless it’s ugly. Then I’ll tell you and have you exchange it for something that’s nice.”

                Josh laughed again. “I love you, my brutally honest girl.”

                “And I love you,” I replied.

                Josh pulled into my apartment complex and parked the car. He grabbed a large silver gift bag from the backseat and I looked curiously at it, wondering what could be inside.  _Maybe a pair of Louboutin’s or a Louis Vuitton._  I unlocked the door to my apartment and my cat, Albert, came sauntering into the hallway to greet us. He was a giant, orange Persian cat that I had rescued from the shelter when I had first moved to Los Angeles. He was my buddy.

                “Hey, Albert!” I said excitedly, bending down to pet his head. He licked my fingers with his sandpaper tongue before hissing at Josh and walking away.

                “That cat hates me,” Josh mumbled.

                “He doesn’t hate you, he’s just jealous because he’s not the only man in my life anymore,” I explained. Josh headed into the living room and I made a quick pit stop into the kitchen to pour us two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc.

         “Thank you, baby,” he said when I handed him his glass. I sat next to him and took a sip of my wine before setting it on a coaster on the coffee table.

         “Okay, so what is this big surprise? Is it in that bag?” I asked, pointing to the silver bag at Josh’s feet.

         “Well, it contains what the surprise will be,” he replied mysteriously, picking it up and setting it on my lap. “Happy anniversary, Olive.”

         I smiled and kissed him softly. “Happy anniversary,” I whispered. I pulled the card off the front of the bag and read Josh’s untidy scrawl. “ _Happy one year anniversary. Here’s to many, many more. I love you._ ” I smiled and set the card on the table before reaching into the bag. After pulling out what seemed like thirty pieces of tissue paper, my hand reached something soft. I pulled out it to see a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal in my hand, holding brochures and a plane ticket.

         I stared at it blankly for a few minutes before tears came to my eyes. My whole entire life, I’d wanted nothing more than to go to Disney World. All the kids I grew up with went every year and bragged about it constantly. My parents could never afford it so I had never gotten to go. Even to this day, I would still Google pictures of the parks, wishing one day I would be able to go.

         “Josh,” I whispered. I looked up at him and saw he was smiling at me.

         “We’re going to Disney World,” he said.

         I launched myself into his arms, nearly crushing Mickey, and sobbed into his shoulder. “Thank you so much! This is the most amazing surprise anyone has ever given me!”

         “You’re very welcome, Olive. I love you and I know how bad you’ve always wanted to go. I want to experience it with you. I want to see your face light up when you walk into the parks. I want to take you on all the rides, eat turkey legs, and watch the fireworks,” he replied.

         I pulled away and wiped my eyes, unable to stop the hiccupping. “This makes my gift look like a piece of shit,” I mumbled, pulling out a small black bag from the side of the couch.

         Josh opened it and surveyed his new, black leather Salvatore Ferragamo wallet. It wasn’t cheap at all, but it certainly wasn’t a trip for two to Disney World. “Are you kidding me, Olive? This is perfect,” he said, pulling out his wallet, which was almost completely falling apart. “I’ve needed one for awhile and this one is amazing quality and definitely will last me awhile.”

         He leaned forward and kissed me. “Thank you, baby. I love it,” he whispered, giving me a smile.

         “You do?” I asked.

         “Of course I do. I don’t need you to spend a million dollars on some lavish gift for me just like I know you don’t need me to do that for you either. Spending the money on a nice vacation for us is worth it though, especially because it’s a place you’ve dreamed of going your entire life,” he admitted.

         I bit my lip and nodded. Josh reached his hand forward and ran his thumb along my bottom lip to release it from my teeth. “Stop biting your bottom lip or I’m going to have to bite it for you,” he teased.

         I raised my eyebrows. “Is that a promise?” I asked huskily.

         Josh’s eyes grew dark and I started to get excited. “It sure is. Starting right now,” he whispered.

         Josh and I spent the rest of the night in bed not sleeping. Two weeks later, I was bouncing with excitement as we landed at Orlando International Airport. Josh had booked a suite for us at the Grand Floridian and after a good night’s sleep, we were going to be heading over to the Magic Kingdom bright and early.

         “You look so adorable right now,” Josh commented as we boarded the Magical Express to our hotel.

         “I’m just so excited! I never thought I’d come here in my life and now it’s finally happening,” I admitted. Forty minutes later, we were pulling into the Grand Floridian Resort and I almost cried. When we had gotten off the bus and into the lobby, Josh checked us in while I walked around and looked at everything in amazement.

         “You ready to go up to our room?” Josh asked, coming up behind me with the luggage and the room keys.

         “Yes,” I murmured.

         “Good, because I got us a room with the perfect view,” he said, giving me a wide smile. We were staying in the Conch Key area of the resort and Josh led the way while I tried to take everything in. The hotel was beautiful and I was glad Josh had picked this one, especially because it was so close to the main park.

         Once we reached Conch Key, we took the elevator up three floors to the top and Josh led the way once again to our suite. It was a beautiful room with a lounge area when you walked in and a massive bedroom with a king sized bed and balcony.

         “Ready for your view?” he asked.

         I nodded excitedly and he told me to close my eyes. He led me outside onto our balcony and I felt him stand behind me. “Open your eyes, Olive.”

         I did and I gasped. I was looking out at the massive lake and just there across on the other side, was Magic Kingdom. I could see the castle starting to light up as the sun was setting. “Josh! There is it!” I exclaimed.

         He chuckled. “And that’s where we’ll be in the morning.”

         True to his word, Josh and I were at the park bright and early after enjoying a continental breakfast at the hotel. I was practically bursting with energy as we walked hand in hand through the opening of the park after getting off the Monorail. Josh purchased Minnie and Mickey Mouse ears for us at one of the kiosks and I immediately put mine on.

         “How do I look?” I asked.

         “Absolutely adorable,” he replied, putting his ears on.

         I giggled. “You do, too. The mouse ears really suit you,” I complimented.

         Josh smiled and led me down Main Street, USA. Everything around me seemed to disappear as I stared at Cinderella’s Castle in awe. It was so much more spectacular in person than it was in pictures.

         “Is it all you dreamed it would be?” Josh asked, once we were in front of the statue of Walt and Mickey holding hands.

         “It’s so much more,” I whispered.

         Josh smiled and asked a man to take a picture of us in front of the castle. My smile was wide and you could tell how excited I was with my arms wrapped tightly around Josh’s waist.

         “Now, how about we ride some rides?” Josh suggested.

         I dragged Josh on every single ride in the park, screaming my head off on Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, squealing with happiness on The Haunted Mansion and all the Fantasyland rides, and giggling during The Country Bear Jamboree and the Tiki Room.

         We watched the Electric Light Parade and Josh held me in his arms as we stared up at the sky, oohing and ahh-ing at the fireworks show, “Wishes”.

         “So, did you enjoy your first day in Disney?” Josh asked as we headed out of the park and back towards the monorail. After such an exciting day, Josh was practically dragging me since I was crashing with exhaustion.

         “It was better than I could have ever hoped for. Thank you for bringing me here, Josh,” I replied.

         “You’re very welcome. I love you, Olive and I want to make you happy,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around me as a shiver ran up my spine from the cool night air.

         “I love you, too, Josh. You definitely make me happier than anyone ever has,” I admitted.

         Josh kissed me and I knew this place really was the happiest place on earth.


	58. Josh Getting Jealous of Olive Talking to an Old Flame

                “I’m starving,” I complained, rubbing my grumbling stomach as Josh drove through the winding roads of the Hollywood Hills. We were going to the Pink Pepper, a delicious Asian Fusion restaurant in Hollywood, and I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into some food. It had been an extremely long day at work and all I wanted to do was eat Chicken Teriyaki and drink a crap ton of Saki. I leaned forward in my seat and rubbed my temples, trying to soothe the pounding headache that was making its way behind my left eye. I felt Josh’s hand rub up and down my back and I sighed.

                “Almost there, sweetheart. We’ll get you a nice stiff drink when we sit down,” he promised.

                “Why couldn’t I have talent and be an actress or a singer or something? Why did my life design include me working in an office, editing articles for a bunch of asshole writers who are too lazy to proofread their work themselves? I mean, isn’t that the whole point of being a writer? I have my degree in Journalism, Josh. I proofread everything and make corrections on my own work before I give it to an editor. These writers also have their degrees and I wonder how they even got them! They’re so lazy!” I exclaimed, my headache now in full force.

 

                “Olive, you do have talent. You’re an amazing writer. I know it’s hard that they won’t let you write yet and you have to edit everyone else’s work, but you will make your way up there and you will be better than all of them. I know it,” he said with conviction.

                I smiled at him and leaned over to rest my head on his shoulder. “You’re so cute when you’re determined for me,” I admitted.

                Josh placed his hand on my knee and circled his thumb on my skin. “Of course I’m determined for you, just like you are for me. Now, let’s have some delicious food and get some alcohol in you to get you nice and relaxed.”

                Josh pulled into the parking garage next to the restaurant and we walked in hand in hand. He had made reservations so we were seated right away in a secluded corner. Josh and I ordered Chicken Satay for a starter and I ordered a beer and Saki for myself.

                “I’m going to go use the restroom before I start drinking,” I told him.

                He chuckled and nodded. “Yes, you don’t want to break the seal too early.”

                “Damn right I don’t,” I agreed. I left the table and started to walk towards the bathroom. In order to get there, I had to walk through the bar area which was crowded with men and women in office attire, having a drink after a long week of work.

                “Olive Fairs?” I heard someone call my name disbelievingly. I turned around, confused as to whom it could be and my mouth dropped open.

                “Logan?” I asked, in complete shock. There he was, my ex-boyfriend standing right in front of me; still six feet two inches, still with the same messy blonde hair and the sparkling blue eyes.

                “Olive!” he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he stepped forward and wrapped me in a fierce hug, lifting me off of my feet. “It’s been forever. You look so beautiful,” he gushed once he put me down.

                “I know I haven’t seen you in years. You’re looking really well. What are you doing in LA?” I asked.

                “I’m just here for a few days on business,” he said.

                “Look at you, big shot lawyer,” I teased.

                He smiled, flashing his perfectly white teeth. “Yeah, all that school definitely paid off,” he commented.

                “So, are you still living in Texas?” I asked. Logan and I had dated during my first two years of college which were his last two at NYU. He was pre-law and had been offered a full scholarship to Baylor University in Texas for their law school and he took it without hesitation. We had a nasty breakup over it because I was so head over heels in love with him and hadn’t spoken since.

                “I sure am. I am officially a Texas lawyer,” he replied.

                I smiled. “That’s awesome. I’m so happy for you,” I said genuinely.

                “What about you, Olive? Are you a writer yet?” he asked.

                “Sort of. I work for the LA Times as an editor, trying to work my way up to being a writer,” I responded.

                “LA Times, huh? Very nice! How long have you been living out here?” he wondered.

                “About three years. As soon as I graduated from NYU I moved out here. I absolutely love it,” I told him. “So, what else is new with you?”

                “Well, I got engaged in February,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

                My eyes widened and my heart picked up speed.  _Engaged? He’s engaged? How did I not know this?_  Irrational jealousy coursed through my veins and I felt my face get hot. It wasn’t that I wanted to be engaged to him or even with him. I loved Josh more than I had ever loved Logan, but I still did love Logan once upon a time and it still hurt to hear that he was engaged to someone else.

                “Wow. Engaged. That’s great, Logan, I’m really happy for you,” I said. I was happy for him, I wanted him to be happy more than anything, but it still pained me somewhat.

                “Thanks. Her name’s Lauren. We met at Baylor and she’s from Louisiana. She’s great,” he said, pulling out his phone and showing me a picture of the two of them. There was Logan with his arms wrapped around a true Southern Belle Pageant Queen. Her hair was perfectly blonde and curled, her makeup done without a flaw, and her big, white smile shining brightly.

                “She really is pretty, Logan. What a one eighty though. You went from a jaded New Yorker who’s wardrobe consists mostly of the color black and who curses like a sailor to a sweet as pie Louisiana Beauty Queen,” I observed, smiling slightly.

                Logan laughed. “Ah, well, they can’t all be you, Olive,” he replied.

                I blushed at his statement and heard someone clear their throat behind me. I turned around and saw Josh there, looking at me questioningly. “Everything okay, babe?” he asked.

                I nodded. “Everything is fine. This is Logan. Logan, this is my boyfriend, Josh,” I said, introducing the two of them. Josh shook his hand and I could see his grip was unnecessarily strong. I placed my hand on his shoulder hoping to calm him down.

                “Nice to meet you,” Logan said.

                “You, too. So, how do you know Olive?” he asked nonchalantly.

                “Well, we used to date back in college,” Logan answered.

                Josh’s jaw tensed and I could tell he was annoyed. “Oh, how long was that for?” he asked. Josh knew exactly how long since I had told him about Logan when we had first started dating.

                “Two years. You’re a lucky man, Josh. Olive is really something special. Hold on to her. Don’t be stupid like I was and let her go,” Logan told him.

                “Yes, she is something special, and don’t worry, I don’t plan on letting her go. I won’t make the same mistake you did,” he said a bit harshly.

                “Josh,” I reprimanded.

                “No, Olive, he’s right. It was a mistake and I’m sorry that I hurt you,” Logan agreed.

                “It’s all right, Logan. It’s all in the past,” I said, trying to diffuse the situation.

                “In the past. Exactly. Let’s leave it there where it belongs,” Josh spat.

                I looked at him appallingly before turning back to Logan. “Well, it was really great seeing you, Logan. Good luck with your engagement and wedding. I wish you nothing but happiness,” I said sincerely.

                “It was great to see you too, Olive. Good luck with your writing and everything. Josh, nice to meet you,” Logan said politely even though Josh was being a total jerk.

                Josh ignored him and went to put his arm around my waist, but I pushed him away before stomping back to the table. Josh followed right behind me.

                “Olive,” he started. I grabbed my bag off of the chair and spun around to face him, fire in my eyes.

                “Fuck you,” I spat before walking quickly out of the restaurant. I saw Josh throw money down on the table before running after me.

                “Olive, wait up!” he called. I refused to look at him, completely furious. I walked past the parking garage so I could hail a cab back to my apartment. “Sweetheart, the car is parked back there.”

                “Don’t you fucking ‘sweetheart’ me you asshole!” I exclaimed, spinning around to look at him. “What the hell was all that about, Josh?”

                His jaw tensed and he narrowed his eyes. “Me? You were the one talking to your ex-boyfriend! What the hell is he even doing here, Olive? Did you know he was coming?”

                I looked at him in disbelief. “You’re kidding me, right? No! He’s here on business! He saw me walking to the bathroom and stopped me to say hello! Then you came along and started acting like a jealous lunatic for no reason at all!”

                “I have a right to be jealous!” he shouted. “You loved him, Olive! How the fuck am I supposed to know that old feelings won’t start stirring up inside you again?”

                “Maybe because you should trust me! I’ve done nothing in this relationship to make you think twice about whether or not we should be together! You said it yourself, Josh! I  _loved_  him! Loved as in past tense! Just because I saw him doesn’t mean I’m going to go running back into his arms! I never loved him like I love you and to be honest, I’m fucking pissed off that you’re questioning that!” I yelled, balling my hands into fists.

                “I’m not worried about you, Olive. It’s him. How the hell am I supposed to know that he doesn’t have ulterior motives?” he asked.

                “Because he’s fucking engaged you asshole!” I shouted.

                “So? Big deal, Olive! Just because he’s engaged doesn’t mean he’s not going to try and weasel his way into your pants! That means nothing!” he yelled.

                “Really, Josh? Are you serious right now? So, what, this relationship means absolutely nothing to you? Just because you have a girlfriend doesn’t mean anything? You’ll go charm the pants off any other girl anyway?” I asked incredulously.

                His face fell. “No, Olive. That’s not what I meant. I would never do that. I love you more than anything and the last thing I would ever do is hurt you. Put yourself in my shoes! What if you saw me talking to Shannon or Victoria, huh? You’d be pissed off as well!” he countered.

                I rolled my eyes. “I’m not jealous or threatened by your ex-girlfriends, Josh. You know why? Because I trust you. I know you would never cheat on me no matter how hard they tried to seduce you. I think it says a lot that you think so little of me that if Logan had tried that I would be stupid enough to fall right into it.”

                Josh sighed and sat down on the curb, burying his face in his hands for a moment before looking up at me. “I’m fucking jealous, all right? You’re so amazing and beautiful and smart that I’m afraid when some guy who’s better than me comes along, he’s going to sweep you right off your feet and take you away from me. I don’t think I could handle that,” he admitted.

                I took a deep breath and let my shoulders drop before sitting down on the curb next to him. He was looking down at his feet, biting his lip. “Josh,” I said softly. “There is no one better than you. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you. You’re talented, funny, sexy as hell, and to be quite honest, I think if anything, someone better than me will come along for you. You’re the famous Josh Hutcherson, after all. I may be a confident person, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have any insecurities. I see the way girls look at you and I know that their brains are working out ways to steal you from me,” I confessed, letting out a humorless laugh.

                Josh shook his head and looked over at me. “No one will take me away from you, Olive. You’re it for me. I’m really sorry I was such a jealous asshole just now, but even us famous actors have our insecurities as well. I get scared that you’re going to leave one day. I don’t want that. I don’t want my insecurities to push you away,” he said.

                I rested my chin on his shoulder and he took my hand in his. “They won’t,” I whispered. “Let’s just try to keep your jealousy in check, all right? I love you and that’s all you have to think about.”

                He smiled and looked over at me. “I know. I love you, too. Now, how about we pick up some food and go home, all right?” he suggested.

                “That sounds fantastic. You’re buying,” I said.

                He laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

                He kissed me deeply and I let all my emotions pour into it, hoping he’d never doubt me again.


	59. Josh's House gets Burgled while Josh and Olive are Home

                Driver’s howling woke me up from a deep sleep and I groaned. “If he needs to go to the bathroom again, I swear to God,” I mumbled.

                I felt Olive shift in the bed next to me as she sat up. “I’ll go take him,” she said sleepily. “I need a glass of water anyway.”

                I rolled over as she got out of bed and padded out of the room. Driver howled again and I rubbed my eyes. For the next few minutes I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling and waiting for Olive to return. After ten minutes, I started to get worried. I hadn’t heard anything coming from outside and I didn’t hear her bustling around in the kitchen

                I threw the covers off of me and stretched before getting out of bed and going to see what was going on. I saw Driver lying on his side at the end of the hall in a patch of moonlight, his chest moving up and damn rapidly as he panted and cried quietly.

 

                “Driver? You okay boy?” I asked softly. When I approached him, I gasped, seeing a large gash in his side that was bleeding profusely. I bent down to look further and my palms started to sweat. I immediately stood up and ran over to the nearest security system, hitting the alert button that would bring the police here in a matter of minutes.

                “Olive?” I called out, slowly walking into the living room where all the lights were on. When I got there, I saw Olive, only she wasn’t alone. There was someone standing behind her, one gloved hand over her mouth and the other holding a silver knife to her throat. Her terrified eyes were wide and spilling tears and my heart stopped in my chest.

                “Well, look who finally decided to join us,” a voice said, startling me. I looked over and saw another man, dressed in all black with a mask on sitting on my couch.

                “Who are you? What the hell are you doing in my house?” I asked angrily. I made a step towards him, but Olive whimpered and I stopped in place. I looked over at her and saw the other man had pressed the blade harder into her throat, cause small droplets of blood to run down her neck.

                “Careful. I wouldn’t move any closer if I were you,” the man on the couch said.

                “Please… don’t hurt her,” I begged, my hands shaking. “I don’t know who the hell you guys are or what you want, but whatever it is, please, leave her alone.”

                “Oh, we won’t hurt her, that is if you cooperate,” the man on the couch drawled. He slowly stood up and walked over to Olive leaning close to her and taking a deep breath in. “She smells lovely, Josh.” His hand ran along her stomach, pushing her shirt up to feel her skin and she recoiled. My hands fisted and I saw red.

                “Don’t touch her!” I shouted.

                The man laughed. “I don’t think you’re in a position to tell me what to do, now are you? Hm, yes such a pretty young thing you have here. Maybe I’ll take her with me,” he said thoughtfully, his hand moving higher and Olive tried to pull away, but the other man pressed the blade harder into her throat again and I could hear her cry out behind his hand.

                “Quit moving, bitch,” he man holding her said harshly. “I won’t hesitate to slit your pretty little throat.”

                “Please,” I begged again. I had never been so scared in my entire life. “Take whatever you want. I don’t care. Take everything. Hurt me if you really want to, but let her go. Don’t hurt her and let her go.”

                The other man laughed again, thankfully pulling his hand away from Olive. “Everything, huh? Well, everything includes your little girlfriend. I’ll take her, don’t worry,” he assured me.

                I shook my head, tears coming to my eyes. “I’m begging you, don’t take her or hurt her. Just let her go!”

                The man stepped towards me and my breath caught in my throat. “Her jewelry is in the bedroom, is that correct?” he asked, his hot, sour breath wafting in my face.

                I nodded. “Yes, take it. There’s my wallet, there’s cash, there’s everything in the bedroom. Take it all, just let the girl go,” I pleaded.

                “You stay put,” he said to me and then turned to the other man. “He moves one step, you don’t hesitate in hurting the girl, you understand me? I want her alive when we take her with us.”

                “Yes, boss,” the man said.

                “NO!” I shouted.

                “I never said I was going to let her go. Now, stay where you are.” The man went off towards the bedroom and I looked helplessly at Olive.

                “Baby, I love you,” I cried. “I love you so much and I won’t let them hurt you, okay? You’re going to be fine.”

                “Shut the fuck up and stop making her promises you can’t keep. I’ll hurt her if I want to and there’s nothing you can do about it. See?” the man said sadistically as he took the knife away from her throat. He placed it on her lower stomach where her shirt and ridden up and cut deep up her entire hipbone. Olive screamed behind his hand as I watched in horror as the blood poured out.

                “NO! STOP!” I shouted helplessly, bringing my hands to my hair and pulling as I cried.

                “Hm, better make it match,” he said and did the same thing to her other hipbone. I fell to my knees in defeat as she cried and screamed, unable to get away. I wanted nothing more than to go to her and kill this man, but I knew he would kill her if I tried.

                “Olive, baby, I’m so sorry,” I sobbed. “I love you so much, I’m so sorry.”

                I kneeled there on the carpet, watching Olive bleed and cry, praying for the police to show up before these men could leave, taking her with them. As if my prayers had been answered, I heard sirens coming down the street before headlights lit up the windows at the front of the house.

                “What the hell?” the man holding Olive asked in confusion. The front door was kicked in as eight cops came barreling in.

                “POLICE!” one of them shouted, alerting us. Three came into the room and the man held his knife back up to Olive’s throat. “Drop your weapon and step away from the girl!”

                “Come any closer and I’ll kill her! I swear!” the man yelled back.

                “I will ask you one last time to drop your weapon and step away!” the cop yelled.

                “There’s another one!” I shouted. “In the bedroom!” I pointed the way and the other cops ran towards it.

                “What are you going to do if I don’t, huh?” the man asked. He once again pressed the blade hard into her throat and I heard a gun go off. My ears were ringing and I watched the man fall to the ground, dead from a gunshot wound to the head by one of the cops.

                I got to my feet and ran forward as Olive started to collapse, sobs racking her entire body. I caught her and sat back down, holding her in my arms after ripping my shirt over my head and pressing it to the wounds on her hipbones. “You’re going to be okay, baby. I promise,” I whispered, kissing her forehead.

                “We need a medic!” One of the cops shouted.

                “Josh,” she choked out, clinging to me as if I were her last lifeline.

                “Olive, look at me, you’re going to be okay. He’s dead. He won’t hurt you anymore,” I assure her.

                Two paramedics came into the living room and kneeled in front of us. I slowly took my blood soaked t-shirt away from her stomach and let them examine her.

                “We’re going to have to take her to the hospital. She’s going to need stiches,” one of them said to me.

                “Okay. My dog is injured too,” I told them.

                “We have two ambulances. We can have one bring the dog to the closest emergency veterinary center,” he explained.

                I nodded and they went to go get the stretcher for Olive.

                “Driver,” she whimpered.

                “Is going to be okay,” I said, hoping what I was saying was true. “Let’s just worry about you, all right?”

                I heard a commotion near the front door and I knew they had caught the other guy. He was screaming and carrying on, but all I cared about was Olive. The paramedics came back with the stretcher and they loaded her onto it.

                “I’m going to get another shirt and then I’m coming with you in the ambulance, all right?” I informed Olive, kissing her hand.

                “Okay,” she whispered, sniffling.

                I headed towards our bedroom where there were police everywhere. The room had been ransacked completely. “Just getting a shirt. I need to head to the hospital,” I told the chief.

                “That’s fine. Everything he took, we got back so nothing will be missing. We need to take him down to the station and get a statement and then we can meet you at the hospital and get yours and the girl’s,” he replied.

                I nodded and grabbed a shirt from one of my drawers, slipped on some flip flops, and walked out of the house in a daze. They loaded Olive into the ambulance and I followed suit, holding her hand the entire way to the hospital. I couldn’t wrap my head around our night. Not only did two men break into my house and try to rob me, they hurt my girlfriend and there was nothing I could do about it.

                “Josh,” Olive whispered.

                I looked down at her and pushed the hair off of her forehead. “Yes, baby?”

                “Please don’t blame yourself,” she begged me. “I forgot to lock the backdoor after letting Driver back in earlier. That’s how they get in without the alarm going off.”

                I shook my head. “Olive, this is neither of our faults,” I assured her. “I leave that backdoor unlocked all the time. Neither one of us knew this was going to happen.”

                “I should have locked it though,” she whispered.

                “Stop. You don’t want me to blame myself? Well, I don’t want you blaming yourself either,” I said with conviction. “Let’s just get you to the hospital and patch you up, all right?”

                She nodded and held my hand tighter. When we got to the emergency room, they injected Olive with a local anesthetic to numb her while they stitched up the wounds on her hip bones. The doctor told us she would always have scars, but there were creams that would make them less noticeable. The cuts on her neck were small and didn’t need any stitching so they were cleaned up and Olive was good to go. A few minutes later, the chief of the LAPD was ushered into our rooms.

                “All right, we got his statement. His name is Andrew Lowes and his deceased partner was John Chan. They are responsible for all of the recent celebrity burglaries. You were the only house they burgled that the owners were actually home in,” he informed us. He showed us a mugshot of Andrew and Olive shivered. He looked to be in about his late twenties with scraggly blonde hair and cold, menacing brown eyes.

                “And the accomplice? Was his body removed from my property?” I asked.

                The chief nodded. “His body is down in the morgue as we speak. Now, I need statements from both of you and I’m also going to need you to testify in the trial. We will contact you at a later date when we are made aware of the trial date. Mr. Lowes is currently being held without bail so there is no need to worry if he’s going to get out and come after either one of you.”

                Olive nodded. “I’ll go first,” she whispered.

                “Are you sure, baby?” I asked, holding her hand tightly.

                “I want to get it over with,” she replied. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “We woke up to the sound of our dog, Driver, howling. I thought he needed to use the bathroom so I got up to let him out. Then I saw him lying in the hallway and he was covered in blood and wounded. I went to scream for Josh, but I felt a hand over my mouth and I was being dragged into the living room. The lights were on and there was a man in a mask sitting on our couch, acting calm and playing with a silver knife. He handed it to the guy holding me and he pressed it against my neck. Neither one of them said much, they were just waiting for Josh to come get me. When Josh came in the room, that’s when that Andrew guy started to talk. Every time Josh moved, that blade just kept pressing harder into my neck. Andrew touched me and said when they were done, he was going to take me with them…” she trailed off, trying hard to keep herself together.

                “It’s okay, Olive. Take your time,” I whispered, also trying to keep myself together as well. Hearing her side of things was hard.

                “Andrew left to go ransack our bedroom and Josh tried to talk to me and calm me down, telling me he wouldn’t let me get hurt. The guy holding me didn’t like that. He slit me open at my hipbones just because he could and that’s when the police came,” she finished, wiping her eyes with shaking hands.

                “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Ms. Fairs. I assure you, justice will be served,” the chief said.

                I told them my side of the story and they handed me their card when I was finished, telling us to call if we could think of anything else. They also handed me the number to the veterinary hospital where Driver currently was.

                “Are you okay, Olive? Do you want to go see Driver, or do you want to just go back to your place and rest?” I asked.

                “Let’s go see Driver and then we can both go back to my apartment. I don’t want to be alone,” she admitted. After a quick call to Andre, Olive and I waited for him to come pick us up to see Driver and take us back to her apartment. We both had a long, stressful night, but we were alive and that was all that mattered. The rest, we’d deal with later.


	60. Josh Giving Olive A Massage

                Today had officially been the day from hell. Not one thing had gone right for me from the moment I woke up. I had slept through my alarm, waking up a half hour later than I was supposed to, I had to rush around to get out the door on time, unable to shower or eat breakfast. Then my car had gotten rear-ended on the way to work by some asshole that wasn’t paying attention. The back of my car was crushed, but insurance information had been exchanged and I was grateful his company would be paying for all the damages.

                Once I got to work, an intern wasn’t watching where they were going and slammed into me, causing my coffee to spill all over my white dress. I couldn’t do anything about it, so I sat at my desk all day in my coffee stained dress, just trying to clear my mind enough to finish my article. Of course, when I was almost finished, my hard drive on the computer completely crashed, deleting everything. Then after work, I had to drop my car off at the mechanic to get fixed and the only rental car they had left was a piece of crap that had no working air conditioning and smelled of stale cigarettes.

 

                It was blistering hot and all I had to keep me company in stand still Los Angeles traffic was a crappy radio signal and the sweat pouring down my face. Safe to say by the time I pulled into the driveway, I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I dragged my sweaty self into the house, shut the door and just slumped back against it, sinking to the floor in my sweaty, coffee stained dress. I had officially given up.

                “Babe?” I heard Josh call from somewhere in the house. He had left long before I did this morning to head to the studio and record his voice for a new animated movie. I had been so preoccupied that I didn’t even notice his car in the driveway when I pulled in.

                Josh walked into the foyer, saw me sitting on the floor trying not to cry, and immediately rushed over. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong? What’s all over your dress?” he asked, kneeling in front of me.

                “Coffee,” I grumbled.

                He frowned. “Did you have a bad day today?” he asked.

                “That’s putting it mildly. I got into an accident this morning and now I’m driving around in some shit box with absolutely no air conditioning,” I complained.

                “You got into an accident? What happened? Are you hurt?” he questioned frantically, giving me a once over.

                “I’m fine, Josh. Some guy not paying attention rear-ended me. My back and neck hurt a bit from the whiplash, but nothing major,” I responded.

                Josh sighed and sat next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “I’m sorry your day was so shitty, but you’re home now and you can just relax.”

                I let out a harsh laugh. “Relax? I’m about to have a severe nervous breakdown, Josh. It’s not exactly something I can turn off.”

                Josh stood up and pulled me to my feet, holding me close. I took a deep breath, taking in his scent and wrapping my arms around him. “Why don’t you go take a nice shower and I’ll help you relax, all right?”

                “How do you propose to do that?” I asked, my voice muffled by his chest.

                “Don’t worry about it, Olive. Just go shower, put on some comfortable clothes, and I’ll order us some dinner,” he replied.

                At the mention of food, my stomach growled loudly and I remembered all I’d eaten was half a yogurt earlier that morning. “Food sounds fantastic.”

                “When was the last time you ate?” he asked, looking down at me.

                “This morning. I was running late and then a whole bunch of crap happened at work and I didn’t even have time to think about food,” I rushed out.

                Josh frowned again. “Olive, you need to eat throughout the day,” he reprimanded. “It’s not healthy to only eat in the morning and I’m sure lack of sugar and food are not helping with your current stress level.”

                I sighed and pulled away. “Thanks, Josh, but the lecture right now is also not helping with my stress level,” I said irritably.

                He grimaced. “I’m sorry, babe, I’m just trying to help.”

                “Well mentioning things I should have done throughout the day is not helping me!” I exclaimed, stomping off towards the bedroom. Tears were falling from my eyes and I swiped away at them angrily. I walked into the bedroom and kicked my heels off, trying to remove my stained dress at the same time.

                “Olive, don’t walk away mad. I’m not trying to piss you off,” he said from behind me. I was stuck in the dress and pulled hard, hearing a loud ripping sound as it went over my head. I looked down at the now torn dress in my hands and lost it, collapsing to the ground and crying into the fabric.

                I felt Josh wrap one arm around me and pull the dress away from my face with the other. I looked up at him pathetically as he sat on the floor and took me into his lap, rubbing his hand up and down my back.

                “Shhh,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten on your case especially after such a horrible day. Just calm down, Olive. Please, calm down.”

                “Everything is just going so wrong! I just want to curl up in a ball and go to sleep. I’m so tired, Josh,” I cried, clinging to him.

                “I know you are, sweetheart. I hate seeing you so upset, but you’re going to be all right. Everyone has bad days and today was yours. It can only get better from here,” he assured me. I pulled back and wiped my eyes, trying to get my breathing under control. “Now, I want you to take a nice, long shower and then come join me in the kitchen for dinner. After that, I’m giving you one of my specialty back rubs.”

                I smiled slightly through my tears and kissed him. “Thank you. You really are the best boyfriend ever.”

                He laughed and we both got to our feet. He pulled me close and we kissed again. “Now, get that cute behind in the shower,” he whispered, giving my ass a gentle slap.

                I made my way into the bathroom and stripped off my bra and underwear before stepping into our massive shower. I turned the water on to the perfect temperature and moaned. My favorite place in the entire house was this shower. It always had the perfect amount of pressure and I would spend up to an hour in there sometimes, never wanting to get out. Once I was clean and I was turning pruney, I got out and dried off, not even bothering to put any clothes on. I went into the kitchen in just my towel and Josh licked his lips.

                “Are you going to get dressed?” he asked.

                I shook my head. “What’s the point? I’m getting a lovely massage after we eat anyway,” I replied. Josh had ordered us Chinese food that I guessed had come while I was in the shower. I sat across from him and began eating as if it had been years since my last meal. I felt like a complete bottomless pit and I was glad I didn’t change out of my towel since I was getting food all over myself in my haste.

                “Slow down, tiger, you don’t want to get sick,” Josh laughed.

                “I’m starving!” I exclaimed, my mouth full of pork fried rice. I devoured my meal in record time and sat back to recuperate while Josh finished his.

                “I’m pretty sure that’s the first time in the two years we’ve been dating that I’ve actually seen you with an empty plate. Usually I have to finish your food for you,” he mused.

                “Hey, I can’t help that I have a small stomach. Tonight was just the exception since it was completely empty,” I said.

                Josh rolled his eyes, taking another bite of his chicken and broccoli. Once he was finished, we cleared our plates and headed into the bedroom. Josh swallowed hard as I dropped my towel and got on the bed, lying on my stomach. “I believe you promised me one of your special massages,” I reminded him.

                I heard him blow out a harsh breath. “I most certainly did.” I looked over and saw him strip down to his boxer-briefs, his prominent erection pulling the elastic away from his hips.

                I giggled and shook my ass. “You look very excited to give me this massage. What kind of massage would it be?” I asked.

                “A back massage, and then maybe, if you’re up for it, an internal massage,” he teased.

                “Well, if I don’t fall asleep, I will most certainly be up for it,” I hinted.

                Josh smiled and climbed up on the bed so he was straddling the back of my thighs. His fingers swiped the hair away from my neck before pressing hard into the tense muscles of my shoulders.

                “Ughhhhh” I groaned out, squeezing the comforter between my fingers.

                “You okay?” he asked, halting his motions.

                “Don’t stop!” I begged.

                He laughed and resumed his massaging. “I’m going to take it that it feels good?”

                “So good,” I moaned, his fingers squeezing the back of my neck and working me into a giant puddle of goo. Josh always gave the best back massages and this one was no exception. Each of my muscles were putty in his hands as he rubbed and pressed, melting my stress away.

                “Right there! Don’t stop!” I pleaded as he hit a particularly painful knot on the middle right side of my back.

                “Yeah? Here?” he asked, rubbing harder.

                “Oh, God! Yes! More!” I exclaimed, moaning and burying my face in my pillow.

                “Jesus Christ, Olive, if someone were to walk in they’d think I was fucking your brains out,” he laughed, making me laugh as well.

                “I guess my moaning and yelling does sound a lot like dirty talk,” I agreed.

                Josh pressed hard on the base of my spine and I moaned even louder. “Oh, fuck! There! Don’t you dare stop!”

                Josh started cracking up and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against my shoulder blade. He was laughing so hard he was shaking my entire body. “I can’t breathe!” he cried.

                “Shut up!” I yelled, trying hard to keep my giggles in and failing miserably. Josh rolled off of me and the both of us laid on the bed, laughing our heads off at the entire situation. It wasn’t even really that funny, but it made me feel a lot better. Once our laughing calmed down. I rolled onto my side and cuddled up in his arms.

                “Thank you for that fantastic back massage. I feel so much better,” I whispered, kissing him softly.

                “It was my pleasure, well, if the neighbors heard then they would just think it was all your pleasure,” he chuckled.

                I rolled my eyes. “Well, how about we really make it both of ours now? I believe you also promised me an internal massage,” I said suggestively, pushing him onto his back and straddling his hips.

                “Mmmmm,” he hummed, grabbing my hips and grinding me against him. “I think that is a perfect idea, Ms. Fairs.”


	61. Olive and Eloise Visit Josh on Set

                “That fly?” Eloise asked, pointing to the airplane outside the window. We were about to board our flight from Los Angeles to Asheville, North Carolina where Josh was working on Mockingjay.

                “Yes, baby. That’s our plane. We’re going to get on it and it’s going to fly us to where daddy is,” I explained to her.

                Eloise’s brow furrowed just like Josh’s and I could tell she was nervous. She had never been on a plane before and I wasn’t sure how she was going to react. “No,” she said finally.

                I sighed and pulled her onto my lap. “Do you want to see daddy, baby?” I asked her and she nodded. “Well, we have to get on that to be able to see him. I promise you, it’s not scary. You get to see all the fluffy clouds up close!”

                I was trying to get her excited, but she still looked nervous. She may have only been almost a year and a half old, but that didn’t mean she didn’t understand the concept of being in the air with nothing to hold you up. Josh had booked us first class tickets so we could be as comfortable as possible, so we boarded the plane first. It was six o’clock in the morning and I had hoped being so early would mean Eloise would be exhausted and sleep most of the way.

 

                I was wrong. She was perfectly fine when we were taxiing, but once we started speeding down the runway and taking off, she started to cry. I did my best to comfort her, hating to be that person with the screaming child in a confined area. Once we were at altitude, a flight attendant came over and gave her some juice to get calm her down.

                “It’s all right, baby, see? We’re up in the air and we’re fine,” I assured her. Of course the universe decided to work against me and give us a rough turbulence patch. I was fine, but my daughter was a complete wreck. I wound up having to give her Benadryl and fifteen minutes later, she was out cold. The rest of the flight, I also slept so I would be wide-awake for the rest of the day with Josh. It had been four weeks since we had last seen him and I didn’t want to be tired and falling asleep on my feet for any amount of our time together.

                Our flight time was four hours total and I felt refreshed once we had landed. Eloise on the other hand, was groggy and disoriented from the Benadryl and she kept falling back to sleep. I felt bad for having to give it to her, but she never would have been able to stand the flight otherwise. It was normal to be afraid of flying your first time on a plane, but I hoped as time went on, she would get used to it and be all right. Being in first class, we were also the first to exit the plane. I grabbed my carryon and put it on my shoulder before picking a once again passed out Eloise up and walking off of the plane. Josh was meeting us at baggage claim and I could feel the butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. After all this time, he still made me feel them.

                I followed the crowd towards baggage claim, Eloise still snoozing on my shoulder. When I got to the row of carousels, I spotted Josh, his baseball cap pulled down over his blonde hair and his eyes scanning around the room. Once he spotted us, he smiled brightly and jogged over.

                “You’re finally here! I’ve missed my girls so much,” he said, wrapping his arms tightly around the both of us.

                “We’ve missed you too,” I gasped, trying not to cry from happiness at being back in his arms. Eloise hadn’t moved a muscle. Josh pulled back and kissed me softly, making my knees weak.

                “She all right?” he asked, once he pulled away.

                “Our daughter is not a flyer, that’s for sure. I had to give her Benadryl and knock her out because she wouldn’t stop crying,” I explained.

                Josh frowned and pushed her soft brown hair away from her sleeping face. “My poor baby. Let me take her,” he insisted. I gladly let Josh take her out of my arms and she groaned, her eyes opening and her lips pouting. “Hi, baby girl. I missed you so much,” he cooed, pressing his lips to her forehead.

                “Dada?” she asked sleepily.

                “Yes, Ellie,” he answered, smiling down at her. She buried her face in his chest and he rubbed his hand up and down her back.

                “Is she crying?” I asked worriedly.

                He nodded, kissing her softly on the top of her head. “Shhh, sweetheart. Daddy’s here,” he soothed her, gently rocking back and forth.

                The carousel started beeping loudly, alerting us that the bags were about to make an appearance. “You hold her, I’ll get our bag,” I told him.

                “You sure? I can get the bag,” he said.

                I shook my head. “She wants to be with her daddy.”

                Josh rocked Eloise back to sleep while I hauled our suitcase off of the carousel once it had come around. Josh and I walked out of the airport side by side and into the parking garage where his rental car was parked.

                “You have a car seat, right?” I asked.

                “Yeah, I picked one up the other night,” he answered. Josh had rented a Jeep for his time in North Carolina and he put Eloise in the back while I put the suitcase in the trunk. Then, we were on our way to the house Josh had rented for his time out here.

                “So I have a surprise for you,” he mentioned.

                “A surprise? What kind of surprise?” I asked huskily, looking back to see that Eloise was still asleep.

                Josh chuckled. “It’s not a dirty one, Olive, although there will be plenty of time for that tonight. Filming has been moving along nicely and we’ll most likely be done at the end of the week which means, I’ll hopefully be heading home with the two of you.”

            My eyes widened. “You’re coming home?” I asked excitedly.

            He nodded. “I am. I’ll be there every night to tuck Ellie in and sleep by your side. I’ve been so lonely without the two of you,” he admitted.

            I took his hand in both of mine and squeezed it tightly. “I know. We’ve been lonely, too. It’s a little less lonely when we Skype with you every night, but it’s not the same as having you there physically.”

            “I hate that, Olive. I wish I could be there or you guys could be here,” he said.

            I leaned back in my seat, still not letting go of his hand. “I wish that too, Josh, but I don’t want to quit my job. I can’t just be wherever you go and do nothing. I’d go crazy,” I explained.

            “No, I know that. I’m not asking you to quit your job. I’m just saying, I wish it could all be that simple,” he said.

            Josh had rented a large four-bedroom house across the street from the Country Club of Asheville. He definitely didn’t need all the space, but it was the only thing he could find in the area that wasn’t a sleazy motel room. He pulled into the circular driveway and cut the ignition, but didn’t move.

            “I feel like I’m dreaming,” he murmured. “I feel like at any minute I’m going to wake up and you won’t be here.”

            I leaned over and pressed my forehead against his shoulder. “I’m here, Josh. I’m here and Eloise is here,” I assured him. “Are you okay?” I whispered.

            He looked over and me and kissed the top of my head. “I am now,” he replied. “Come on, let’s go inside. You want to get Ellie?”

            I shook my head. “I’ll get the bag. You haven’t seen our daughter in forever,” I reminded him. We got out of the car and I got the suitcase out of the trunk while Josh got Eloise who was now awake and extremely grumpy.

            “I know, angel. I know you’re tired,” he soothed. “You have to stay awake though or you’re not going to sleep tonight.”

            “Noooo,” she whined, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck.

            “Let’s get you inside and make you something to eat, all right?” he suggested. I followed behind them and Josh unlocked the front door. The house was completely furnished and was beautiful. Josh put his keys on the table near the door and I moved the suitcase off to the side.

            “Wow, this place is really nice,” I commented.

            “I know. I’m really only here to sleep, though. Sometimes I wind up just sleeping in my trailer on set because we shoot so late and have to be back on set so early,” he said.

            Eloise was quietly crying and I was starting to regret giving her the Benadryl in the first place. I hated the extremely drowsy feeling and I could only imagine what she must be going through. Josh bounced up and down a bit, trying to get her to quiet down, but it didn’t seem to be working. “Let’s make something to eat. She’s probably starving,” I told him.

            Josh brought us into the kitchen and I saw the cupboards and refrigerator were mostly empty. He did have a box of pasta and some butter, so I decided to make that instead of going back out to find a grocery store.

            The three of us ate and it seemed to pep Eloise back up a bit. She was less groggy and excited to see her father. Josh had the day off to do whatever he wanted, but we just decided to spend some time alone as a family for the day before visiting everyone on set the next day. I knew Josh was extremely happy the two of us were there, but I could also tell something was off about him. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

            The three of us watched a Disney movie together before bed at Ellie’s request even though she fell asleep in Josh’s arms halfway through. I let him get her into her pajamas and tuck her into the crib he had set up in one of the spare bedrooms while I got ready for bed. I was completely drained from traveling and even though I wanted to reconnect with my fiancé, I wasn’t sure if I could keep my eyes open much longer.

            “Not falling asleep on me, are you?” Josh teased from the doorway as I yawned and got into bed.

            “I’m trying not to,” I replied. “I feel like this was the longest day ever.”

            Josh nodded. “Let’s just go to sleep, Olive. I’d rather hold you in my arms all night than not have you here at all.”

            I smiled at his sweet words and pulled the covers up around me. I tried to keep my eyes open until he at least gotten into bed, but I was almost asleep when I finally felt his arms around me. “I love you,” I mumbled, cuddling closer to him.

            “I love you, too,” he whispered before I drifted off into dreamland. It seemed that not even a minute later, I was being jolted awake.

            “NO!” Josh screamed, sitting up and causing me to roll over on my side. My eyes popped open and I looked over, seeing him hunched over, his face in his hands and shaking.

            “Josh?” I asked, my voice groggy with sleep.

            He jumped and turned around to look at me, his eyes wide, and his face completely sweaty. His breathing was labored as if he had run a mile and he swallowed hard. “Olive?” he whispered.

            I sat up and moved closer to him. “Josh, are you all right?”

            He didn’t answer, just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, his face buried in between my neck and shoulder. I ran hand through his hair, which was soaked with sweat and shushed him as silent sobs wracked through his body.

            “Sh, it’s all right,” I comforted him. He pulled away and looked at me, his eyes filled with tears.

            “You’re here,” he choked out.

            “Of course I’m here. I’ve been here all day,” I reminded him, pressing a kiss to his lips. He kissed me back with a fiery passion and pressed me back onto the mattress. I moaned into the kiss as his hands caressed my body and his hips grinded against mine.

            “Please, baby, I need to feel you,” he begged. I pulled his head back and held his face in my hands.

            “I’m yours,” I told him, hoping he felt the impact of my words. Josh pulled our clothes off hastily and pushed himself into me, fisting the sheets and giving a loud cry into my neck. It wasn’t slow and it wasn’t romantic; it was passionate and full of need and desperation. His fingers dug into my hips hard enough that I knew I would bruise as he thrusted into me over and over.

            I arched my back and moaned breathily, the feeling of pleasure and completeness overwhelming me. I cried out his name as I came around him and he cried out mine as he let go into me. He collapsed on top of me, completely out of breath, but not making a move to pull out of me. I rubbed my hands up and down his back as my heart rate returned to normal and he reluctantly pulled out of me, rolling so he was on his side facing me. I leaned up on my elbow and kissed his forehead.

            “Josh, are you okay? What was all that about? Not that I mind or anything, but I know something is wrong,” I stated.

            Josh took a deep breath and ran his fingers up and down my arm. “This role is just so intense. It’s such a completely different Peeta than what I’ve always played. I immerse myself in him all day long and it’s hard for me to switch off sometimes, especially after the scenes where he’s hijacked. I have to get myself in this mindset and then I come home and go to sleep and it’s like I’m really Peeta, only you’re being taken away from me, and being hurt. I can’t stand it,” he confessed, leaning his forehead against my bare chest.

            I ran my fingers through his hair again, trying to get him to relax. “It’s just a nightmare, Josh. I’m right here and none of that is real. No one is going to take me away from you and hurt me,” I assured him.

            “It’s Ellie, too. She’s taken away and all I can hear is her screaming for me. I try and run to her, but I can never find her,” he explained, completely anguished.

            I took his face in my hands, making him look at me. “Ellie is fine, Josh. She’s just right down the hall and she’s sleeping peacefully. No one will ever hurt her and if they do, I know you’ll be the first person to make sure that whoever does will regret it.”

            Tears came to his eyes again and he bowed his head. “I hate being away from you both. It hurts so much. I get lost in my head and this role and I don’t know how to escape without you,” he whispered.

            I curled up in his arms and he held me tightly. “I’m here, Josh. I’m not going anywhere. It scares me when you get lost like this, but it’s almost over and I’m going to help you find your way back,” I sniffled, trying not to cry with him. I needed to be strong for him right now.

            “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I know this isn’t any easier on you. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through or even what Ellie is going through. It hurts so bad when I can’t be there all the time.”

            I shook my head. “Josh, this is your job. This is your dream. No other occupation would make you this happy and if you get lost sometimes, it’s all right. Ellie and I will always be there.”

            Josh sighed and kissed my forehead. “I love you so much, Olive. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

            “I love you, too, Josh. I always will.” I kissed him softly, letting my lips linger on his.

            “I want to see Ellie,” he said once we pulled back. “I know she’s sleeping, but I really need to see her and hold her right now.”

            He looked upset again and I sat up, reaching for my discarded pajamas. “Then let’s go get her.”

            We got out of bed and got redressed before heading down the hallway into Ellie’s room. She was sprawled out in the crib, her thumb in her mouth, and completely passed out. Josh practically sprinted to her crib and gently lifted her up in his arms. She stirred a bit, her eyes opening, before cuddling into his hold.

            “Hi, beautiful girl. You want to stay with mommy and daddy tonight?” he asked her softly.

            She nodded and blinked sleepily up at him. “Dada,” she mumbled around her thumb.

            Josh smiled. “That’s right, baby.” We went back into our bedroom, Eloise still in his arms and got into bed. Josh and I shared a pillow with our baby in between us, her head resting on his chest and his arms around both of us. Eloise had fallen back to sleep, making herself comfortable in his embrace and I smiled at him.

            “Feel better?” I asked.

            He nodded. “I’ve got the two most important people in my entire world in my arms. I’ve never felt better in my life.”


	62. Josh and Olive are Best Friends

                I grunted as I lifted my suitcase off of the carrousel, having sworn it wasn’t that heavy when I'd left that morning. I had just landed at LAX from New York to spend Christmas with my best friend since childhood, Josh and his family. Josh and I had grown up three houses down from each other in Kentucky. We were always out playing with the other neighborhood kids until the streetlights came on and it was time for dinner. Out of everyone though, Josh was my best friend. Our parents were friends and we had no qualms about walking into each other’s houses at any time without knocking.

                When we were ten years old, Josh started to spend a lot of time in California. He wanted to be an actor more than anything and I always supported him. The other kids started to make fun of him for it and turn their backs on him, but not me. He was my best friend and I wanted him to be happy. Josh’s acting career started taking off soon after and he was home less and less. It hurt not being able to see him all the time, but my mom and I would fly out to California to visit once in a while. When we were together, it was as if no time had passed. As we got older, our friendship only grew stronger. I stayed back in Kentucky to finish high school and Josh was homeschooled in LA or wherever he was filming.

 

                Everything was perfect, until five days after I had graduated high school. Josh had come home to watch me graduate and come to my graduation party. I had been accepted to NYU and even though we would be even further apart, I knew our friendship would always stay true. It was the night before my graduation party and there was a severe thunderstorm in the area. I was holed up at the Hutcherson’s, watching movies with Josh when we received the devastating news.

                The phone rang and Michelle answered it. We knew it wasn’t good by the look on her face. When she hung up, she sat me down and I could remember her telling me that my parents had been in a car wreck coming home from the store after picking up my graduation party decorations. A huge tractor trailer had lost control on the slippery roads and rolled over, right onto my parent’s vehicle. They were killed immediately. Since Josh’s parents were my parent’s emergency contacts, the hospital had called their house.

                I don’t remember much of the next couple of days. It had felt like I was under water the entire time. I was in such a state of shock that I couldn’t cry, talk, eat, or sleep. Even in my completely catatonic state, Josh had never left my side, trying to encourage me to talk to him or just cry. It was as if my brain had completely shut down. It wasn’t until the day after the funeral where I woke up screaming that I really started to grieve. Josh had been sleeping on the floor of the guest room where I was staying because he didn’t want me to be alone. He cried with me and comforted me at the same time as the reality of the situation came crashing down on me.

                Even though I was eighteen, I was officially an orphan. Both sets of grandparents had died when I was just a baby and both of my parents were only children themselves. I had no one, but the Hutchersons now. I stayed with them for the rest of the summer, packing up my old room and selling all of my parent’s possessions before we sold their house. With their life insurance policies, 401K’s, and savings, I never had to worry about money again. I still would have traded it all to have them back.

                I went off to college while Josh went back to LA and I started my life over. I made lots of friends and really enjoyed campus life. Josh had come to visit a few times and I had flown out to LA to see him as well, but with both of us being so busy all the time, it was hard to do more than just call and text each other. I hadn’t gone back to Kentucky since my parents’ death, opting to spend the holidays at my apartment in New York. The Hutchersons begged me to come back and visit, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

                This year, Josh had convinced his parents to go out to LA for Christmas and New Years and he made me come as well. I agreed, having not been out there in almost a year and just glad to not have to go back to Kentucky. I would be staying with Josh in his new house in the Hollywood Hills while his parents would be staying at his old house in the Valley.

                “Need a hand?” I heard a familiar voice asked. I smiled, abandoning the retrieval of my bag and turned around, seeing Josh with a huge smile on his face, his bright red Cincinnati cap pulled down low. I didn’t care who was around, I jumped straight into his arms, almost knocking him off his feet. “Jeez, Olive! Trying to break my back?” he teased.

                “Oh shut up. I haven’t seen you in forever so you can’t say you’re not happy to see me too,” I said.

                He laughed and held me tight, lifting me so that my feet were off the dirty tile of the baggage claim floor before setting me down again. Josh grabbed my bag, which was halfway off the carousel causing other suitcases to pile up behind it. “Jesus, Olive, what the hell do you have in this thing?”

                “A body,” I said, winking at him.

                “Better not be a guy,” he grunted, setting it on the wheels and pulling the handle up.

                I rolled my eyes. “You never did like any of my boyfriends.”

                “You never liked any of my girlfriends,” he countered.  _Maybe because I wished I was in their shoes._

                “So,” I said, changing the subject. “When do your parents and brother get here?”

                “In two days. It’s just you and I for now. I’m sure you’re tired from the flight and want to shower and relax, so how about we spend the night in, have some drinks, eat some food, and play with my new puppy?” he suggested, leading us outside into the warm LA air.

                “Sounds good to me! I can’t wait to finally meet Driver,” I replied.

                “He’s such a sweetie pie. You two are going to get along great,” he promised. There were thankfully no paparazzi in sight as we made our way to his Jeep and he put my suitcase in the back. We climbed in and were finally on our way to the Hollywood Hills. It may have been winter, but you would have never known it here. It was sixty three degrees out and sunny, compared to New York where there was a foot of snow on the ground.

                Josh and I caught up with each other on the drive before pulling up to his front gate. “Oh, fancy shmancy,” I said, raising my eyebrows at him.

                “Hey, I have some very scary fans and this fence is electrified. It protects me,” he said defensively.

                “So you electrocute them? Man, I’d love to see that!” I exclaimed.

                “Well, I mean, it hasn’t electrocuted anyone yet. It’s there just in case someone tries to climb it and kidnap me,” he said.

                I laughed loudly as he dialed the code to get in. He parked next to his BMW and collection of motorcycles before we got out and went inside, him carrying my bag for me like a true gentleman. As soon as the doors were open, I heard nails scratching on the concrete floor as a large pitbull came charging at us, his tail wagging and his tongue sticking playfully out of his mouth.

                “Hi, boy!” Josh exclaimed happily, shutting the door behind us and kneeling down. Driver ran to him, licking his face in greeting while Josh scratched behind his ears. I kneeled down beside him and Driver immediately started to sniff me. “Driver, this is Olive,” he said, introducing us. “You two are going to be best friends.”

                Driver must have thought so too, because he started to lick my face as well. I closed my eyes and wrinkled my nose as the dog slobber accumulated on my cheek. “Yuck. I don’t mind dogs, but the slobber is just not okay,” I said.

                Josh laughed and pulled Driver back while I wiped my face on the sleeve of my sweatshirt. “Come on, I’ll show you around,” he said, standing up. We left my bag in the front hall as he took me throughout the house, showing me the expansive deck space and the bright, open rooms. I was in love with his “tree house”, nestled in the Sycamore trees. It was so Josh.

                “This place is fantastic! It’s nice and quiet and I love how secluded it is. It seems like a great place to get away from the prying eyes of your adoring fans,” I said, sitting down on his bed before lying back against the black comforter. He laid next to me, turning his head to the side to look at me.

                “It is a great place. I don’t feel like I did when I was at the house in the Valley. I mean, the photographers would literally follow me onto my porch there. This time, they can’t,” he replied, interlocking his fingers with mine.

                I felt a shudder go through my body at the contact. I had always had a little crush on Josh and of course I found him extremely attractive. He was my best friend and I loved him more than anything. I knew my feelings for him were changing, but he didn’t seem to feel the same way.

                I closed my eyes and attempted to push my feelings down. I didn’t want to be a part of a cliché “friendship to lovers” relationship, but as you grow up, things start to change. I knew we couldn’t have any sort of normal relationship, living on separate coasts and his job sending him all over the world, but I wouldn’t mind having something with him. Something that could possibly blossom into something more than just best friends.

                “So, you said something about food and drinks earlier. Can we get on that?” I asked.

                Josh chuckled and pressed a kiss to the back of my hand. “Whatever the lady wants. Is Chinese food all right?” he questioned.

                “Chinese food is always all right! I want…”

                “Chicken and broccoli, more chicken than broccoli with an egg roll and wonton soup. I know,” he finished for me.

                I smiled and sat up. “You know me so well,” I commented.

                “I’ve known you forever, Olive. Not once in those twenty years has your Chinese food order changed,” he teased.

                I stuck my tongue out at him and stood up, stretching. “Well, you go get on that whole ordering of food thing. I’m going to shower,” I stated, walking out of the room. I grabbed my suitcase at the front door and went into the guest bedroom, setting up shop before heading into the bathroom. The shower was pretty awesome and I was glad it wasn’t fully glass like Josh’s was. The last thing I wanted was for some creepy peeping tom to ogle my tits while I washed my hair.

                Once I was clean, in comfy shorts and a t-shirt, and my hair dried, I joined Josh out on the deck, where he had set up our food for us that had been delivered while I was getting ready. “Man, I’m starving!” I exclaimed, plopping down across from him and grabbing my wonton soup.

                “Let’s see how many bites you can eat before you sit back, rub your stomach, and complain you’re full. I think your record is seven,” he said.

                “Screw you! How is it my fault I have a small stomach?” I asked, pouting at him. I finished my wonton soup and gave him a smug look. “See, that was way more than seven.”

                “Oh please, that was soup. I mean actual food. Come on, let’s see,” he said, putting his chopsticks down to watch me intently.

                I glared at him as I grabbed my chicken and broccoli with a pair of chopsticks. I began eating and without fail, began feeling full after only a few bites.  _Come on, Olive. Just a few more bites. You can do it!_ By bite nine, I felt as if I was about to explode and gave up, not wanting to throw up.

                “Nine bites! A new record!” he shouted to absolutely no one.

                “Shut up, Hutch! I did my best!” I shouted right back. He laughed maniacally and almost fell off of his chair. I huffed and started to pack my food up to put in the fridge because I knew I would be hungry again later. Once Josh devoured his entire meal, he poured us both a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and we relaxed back near one of the lit fire pits on the comfortable outdoor furniture.

            “I should have went to school out here,” I mumbled.

            “You still can. You can always transfer, but I know how much you love it at NYU,” he said.

            I nodded, resting my temple on his shoulder. “I do love it there and that is where I want to graduate from. Maybe I’ll move out here though, once I get my degree.”

            “I wouldn’t be mad if you did,” he admitted. “In fact, I’d love for you to move out here full-time.”

            I sighed, taking a sip of my wine. “Someday,” I said wistfully. Josh and I continued to drink, getting more and more tipsy as the time wore on.

            “Truth or dare, Olive,” he slurred.

            I scrunched my nose up. “What are we, in fifth grade?” I asked.

            “Come on, just answer!” he pouted.

            “Ugh, fine. Truth,” I grumbled.

            “Are you a virgin?” he asked.

            “WHAT?” I exclaimed. “You want to play Truth or Dare and that’s your first question?”

            “Come on, just answer,” he said.

            I sighed, taking a swig of wine. “No, Josh. I am not a virgin. Now, your turn. Truth or dare?”

            “Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Elaborate! Who was it with? When?” he asked frantically.

            “You just asked me if I was a virgin, you didn’t say elaborate!” I reminded him.

            “Come on, Olive. Tell me and I’ll tell you mine,” he bargained.

            “Oh please. I already know. You were fifteen and it was with Shannon in her parent’s basement while they were out food shopping,” I said.

            “How do you know that?” he asked.

            “You bragged about it for a month!” I cried.

            “Fine. Since you know mine, will you please tell me yours?” he asked.

            “Scott Creeder, senior year. It was at some house party and it was awful,” I replied.

            “Creepy Creeder? Seriously, Olive?” he laughed.

            “Shut up! It wasn’t exactly my finest moment! Plus, I just wanted to get it over with,” I mumbled around the edge of my wine glass.

            Josh turned so he was facing me. “You just wanted to get it over with? Seriously, Olive? So you chose him?”

            “Well who else was I going to choose?” I questioned defensively.

            “I would have helped you out,” he whispered.

            “We’re best friends, Josh. Don’t you think that’s crossing the line just a little bit?” I asked.

            “Exactly. We’re best friends! You would have been comfortable and I would have made it perfect for you,” he said.  _Wait, what? Give me a break. He’s just saying that to be nice._

            “May I remind you that you were dating Victoria at the time? It’s too late now. The deed is done. Now, back to the task at hand. Truth or dare?” I requested.

            “Truth,” he replied.

            I took a deep breath. “Would you really have been my first?”

            “In a heartbeat,” he answered, smiling drunkenly at me.

            “Really? You’re not just saying that?” I asked surprised.

            “I said I would have and I mean it. Obviously it’s too late now, but I would have, Olive. Have you been with anybody since then?” he prodded.

            I gulped and looked away. “This isn’t my turn, Josh,” I reminded him.

            “Fine truth or dare?” he asked quickly.

            “Dare,” I said.

            “I dare you to let me kiss you,” he said.

            My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. “Are you crazy?” I asked. “What kind of dare is that?”

            “It’s a dare Olive. Now pucker up, sweet cheeks,” he said, moving closer to me, so we were inches apart.

            “No!” I heard myself yell. “Josh, we can’t.”

            Josh looked at me hard. “Why can’t we, Olive?”

            “Because, we’re best friends. That would be crossing so many lines!” I exclaimed. The truth was, I was afraid that if Josh kissed me, my feeling for him would magnify and then I would be left with a broken heart at the end.

            “Who says that would be crossing the line? It’s just a kiss. I’m obviously attracted to you and I know you’re attracted to me, so why fight it?” he reasoned.

            “It’s not just a kiss, Josh,” I whispered.

            “Why? Because there are underlying feelings between us of more than friendship? I feel it too, Olive. It’s not just you. I know this is horrible timing with our schedules and living on separate coasts, but come on. We’re adults and this isn’t a marriage proposal. I’m just asking for one kiss,” he explained.

 _Don’t think, Olive. Just do it._ “Okay,” I consented. “But just a kiss, Hutcherson. No boob groping or anything like that.”

            He smiled. “Scouts honor,” he replied. We moved close again and he rested his forehead against mine. I saw him lick his lips before moving in and pressing them against mine. My stomach was doing flip flops and I was trying my best to hold it together. The kiss was innocent, but incredible. It felt right and I just wanted to continue kissing him all night.

            I pulled back slightly and gave him a shy smile. “Well, you’ve kissed me,” I whispered.

            “I did kiss you, now, can we please continue it? I wasn’t done,” he said.

            I giggled and shook my head, putting space between us. “It was nice, Josh, but like you said, we live on different coasts and the timing isn’t right.”

            He sighed and leaned his head back. “You’re right. One day though, Olive, I’m not going to stop.”

            I knew he wasn’t lying and that one day, it would be just us.


	63. Digging Deeper Into Josh And Olive's Friendship

            I stormed out of my office building on Wilshire Boulevard completely and utterly fuming. My boss had asked me to come up with ideas for the blurbs on the cover of our magazine for our meeting with the editor in chief later in the day.  I spent hours working on it, scanning all of our articles to see which ones to use that would attract our readers.

            Five minutes to the meeting, I had finally finished and handed them into my boss. She was of course, condescending and complained about how they could have been better, but she used them in our meeting anyway. Much to her surprise, the editor in chief loved them and wanted to use them.

            What happened next shocked me; she took one hundred percent of the credit for them, even though I was the one that had come up with them. All I could do was sit there and stare at her in disbelief as she blatantly stole my work right in front of my face. I had never been so mad in my life.

 

            After the meeting, I went into her office, completely furious and the only thing she had to say to me was, “Good thing you kept your mouth shut. You wouldn’t have wanted to embarrass yourself in front of everyone.” It took everything in me not to quit and murder her in that moment. I knew then that it was time to look for another job.

            At five on the dot, I left the office, giving her nothing but a dirty look to start her weekend off.  I got into my car and slammed the door hard before screaming at the top of my lungs and punching my steering wheel. It was officially the worst day ever. When I had screamed myself hoarse, I leaned back in the seat, breathing heavily and dialing Josh’s number.

            “Hey I was just about to call you,” he answered.

            “What are you doing tonight?” I asked. Josh and I had met at Drag Queen Bingo four months prior where he was the celebrity guest. Two days afterwards, we ran into each other at a gas station and he invited me over to his house later on that night for a party. He’d been my best friend out here ever since.

            “Nothing, that’s why I was just about to call you and ask what you wanted to do,” he said.

            “Can I come over and just drink myself into a coma? I honestly need that right now,” I admitted.

            “Whoa, easy there. What happened?” he asked, concerned.

            Tears of complete anger and frustration came to my eyes. “My boss asked me to do something for her for our meeting with the editor in chief, so I did it and then she completely took all the credit! She said she did all of the work! I was so fucking mad you have no idea! And then afterwards when I confronted her, you know what she said? ‘Good thing you kept your mouth shut. You wouldn’t have wanted to embarrass yourself in front of everyone.’ How fucked up is that, Josh?” I exclaimed, my voice cracking and the tears starting to roll down my cheeks.

            “Jesus. Your boss is a fucking bitch, Olive,” he replied, sounding angry.

            I sniffled and leaned my forehead against the top of my steering wheel. “I know. I’m so pissed off. I’m looking for a new job starting on Monday,” I cried.

            “All right, relax. Where are you now?” he asked.

            “I’m sitting in my car, crying, in the parking lot at work,” I told him, trying to muffle a sob.

            He sighed. “Please stop crying, Olive. She’s not worth it,” he begged.

            “I can’t help it!” I wailed. “I’m so fucking mad I can’t do anything but just sit here and cry!”

            “Turn your ignition on and come over. I have alcohol and I will order us pizza. Let’s get you nice and buzzed and relaxed,” he instructed.

            “Okay,” I answered in a small voice.

            “I’ll see you soon. Drive safe,” he told me. I hung the phone up and took a deep breath, sitting back again. I looked at myself in the rearview mirror and cringed; I was the definition of a hot mess. I wiped my eyes and fixed my hair, trying to make myself look presentable, but I gave up when I didn’t see any improvement. I sighed and started my car, thankful I had two days to calm down. I drove to Josh’s, taking the back roads to avoid the dreaded rush hour freeway traffic. It took awhile, but I knew I would still be sitting on the freeway if I didn’t.

            Josh let me in his gate and I parked next to his Jeep before walking down to the front door. It swung open as I was feet away and Josh gathered me in his arms when I crossed the threshold. Another wave of tears started, soaking into the neck of his t-shirt.

            “Shhh, just calm down. You’re all right,” he soothed, running a hand up and down my back.

            I pulled back and covered my face with my hands, hiccupping as I tried to hold back the sobs. Josh led me into the living room and sat me down on the couch. I leaned forward, burying my face in my knees. I heard glasses clinking not too far away before Josh’s footsteps came back to me.

            “Here, come on,” he said.

            I looked up and saw him holding out a glass to me with some ice and whiskey in it. “I hate whiskey,” I hiccupped.

            “I know you do, but just knock it back. You need something strong,” he told me. I took the glass from him and chugged the brown liquid back, scrunching my face at the taste and the burning of my esophagus. Josh sat next to me and rubbed my back as I calmed down and let the whiskey seep into my system.

            “Thank you,” I whispered.

            “Anytime. You feel a little better?” he asked.

            I looked back at him and nodded. “Sorry for coming in here and crying like a crazy person,” I apologized, giving him a half smile.

            He shook his head. “Don’t even worry about it. You had a bad day and had every right to be upset. Now, let’s order some pizza, have some beer, and get your mind off of it.”

            “Sounds good,” I replied. Josh pulled his phone out to order our food while I went to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. When I came back out, he handed me Blue Moon in a glass with an orange slice and we went out front to sit on his porch and wait for the food.

            “So how was your day?” I asked him.

            Josh went on to tell me about his day at the studio, recording his voice for a new animated movie called Epic. He was excited about the roll and I was excited for him. Just as the sun was beginning to set, turning the sky pink and orange, our food arrived.

            Josh met him at the gate, paid him, and brought the food back over and we went inside. I grabbed us plates as he opened the box and took out a slice each for us. Since it was Papa John’s, they weren’t that big and we knew we would be able to finish the entire pie.

            “Someone’s hungry,” Josh commented, watching me wolf down a slice of pizza.

            I rolled my eyes. “Well, I had to skip lunch today because I had that huge project to work on that I got absolutely no credit for.”

            “Maybe your boss will drive off a cliff on her way home from work. It’ll serve her right. Karma is the biggest bitch of them all,” he said.

            “Yeah, well, she’ll get what’s coming to her. For now though, I’m just going to look for another job,” I said. Josh and I continued to eat and drink more and more beer. Pretty soon there was only one slice left.

            “Josh, you ate way more than I did!” I exclaimed.

            “But I’m a growing boy! I’m still hungry,” he pouted.

            “Oh, please. You’re almost twenty years old. You stopped growing a long time ago, short stuff,” I teased.

            “Hey, I’m five foot seven! I’m not that short! You’re shorter than I am!” he argued.

            I inched closer to the pizza box and smirked. “You’re right, I am shorter than you, which means I need more to grow,” I said, quickly grabbing the slice.

            Josh unfortunately had fast reflexes and grabbed me around the waist before I could run away. “Oh no you don’t! That slice is mine! Hand it over!” he exclaimed.

            “NEVER!” I shouted, giggling like a maniac as I squirmed in his arms.

            “Resistance is futile, Olive! I’m stronger than you!” he yelled. I quickly turned around in his arms to try and escape when I was pushed back against the refrigerator door. Josh and I were almost nose to nose, both of us out of breath and laughing.

            Slowly, our laughter dissipated until we were left standing there, him pinning me against the refrigerator staring intently at me. Before I could react, his lips were on mine, kissing me passionately.

            I squealed in surprise and when I gasped, his tongue entered my mouth.  _Holy fuck, Josh is kissing me. Kiss him back you idiot!_  The slice of pizza dropped from my hand and landed on the kitchen floor as I wove my fingers through his hair, pulling his head closer. His hands were grabbing my ass hard as he rubbed his prominent erection against my now quivering lady parts.

            “Fuck, Olive. Want you so bad,” he groaned between kisses. I broke away to take a breath as his kisses moved down to my collarbone and one of his hands moved from my ass and up my dress. He pushed it past the elastic of my panties and stroked me, causing my knees to buckle and a cry to escape my lips.

            “Don’t stop,” I begged, his fingers working magic with their rubbing and probing. He pulled his hand away momentarily to quickly pull my underwear down. I stepped one leg out of them and lifted it up, giving him complete access.

            Two of his fingers immediately pushed inside of me and I moaned, grasping at his t-shirt hard. “Oh, God, right there!” I shouted as his fingers pressed against my g-spot. I could only imagine what we looked like, Josh pinning me against the refrigerator while ruthlessly finger fucking me. The thought alone was enough to create a flood of wetness around his fingers.

            “So good, Olive. I want to fuck you so hard,” he breathed.

            “Please!” I exclaimed. Sadly, he pulled his fingers out of me to rip my dress over my head before letting me do the same with his shirt. His fingers went back between my legs as mine fumbled with his belt and the button and zipper of his jeans. Once I got them opened, his erection greeted me under his black boxer briefs. It was larger than I expected it to be and I wanted it in me at that second.

            “I can’t wait any longer. I want you now,” I told him.

            “Thank God we’re on the same page,” he admitted, pulling me closer and kissing me again. He laid me down on the hard kitchen floor, pushing my legs back with my panties still dangling around my left ankle and my bra still on. He reached down and pushed his jeans and boxers down to his knees.

            “Holy shit,” I whispered, seeing his large, glorious, and perfectly erect cock for the first time. He smirked at me and pressed himself against me, rubbing up and down while I whimpered and lifted my hips, begging him to take me.

            He chuckled. “Eagar for me, baby?” he teased.

            “You know I am!” I exclaimed, my legs shaking around his hips.

            “Good, because this isn’t going to be gentle,” he whispered in my ear. Josh pushed into me in one smooth trust and I squeezed tightly around him at the intrusion and cried out. “Oh God, that’s fucking it,” he moaned.

            “Fuck me,” I begged, my hands on his ass trying to get him to move.

            Josh wasted no time, pounding into me with reckless abandonment while I tried to find something to hold onto. The only sounds throughout the kitchen were the slapping of our skin, our heavy breathing, and the moans coming from our mouths. Josh was fucking me like no one ever had. He fit perfectly inside of me and I felt so full of him I thought I might burst.

            “You like that, Olive? You like the way I feel inside of you? You’re so tight and wet around me. Fuck you feel perfect,” he murmured, pressing hot kisses down the side of my neck.

            I whimpered at the dirty words leaving his mouth, wanting him to keep talking. I grabbed his hand from next to my head and shoved it between us, encouraging him to touch me and send me over the edge.

            He smirked. “Naughty girl. You want me to touch you like this?” he asked, his fingers gliding over my wet flesh with ease and perfection.

            “Don’t you even think about stopping!” I exclaimed, rolling my hips to create greater friction.

            Josh fucked me even harder, his fingers never letting up on their ministrations as my body jerked and twitched, making it’s way towards a powerful orgasm.

            “I’m going to come! Oh God, so close!” I cried, my fingernails digging into his shoulder blades.

            “I can feel it, baby. Let go. Come on me and show me how fucking good I make you feel,” he grunted.

            His words, his fingers, his perfect cock, were all my undoing as I came violently, my vision going white and screaming his name until I was hoarse. I was also pretty sure I was scratching the shit out of his back

            “Yes! Just like that! Fuck, Olive, I’m going to come!” he cried. Josh slammed into me four more times before going completely still and burying his face in my neck as he let go. When he was completely spent, he collapsed his full weight on top of me, both of us breathing heavily.

            I ran my fingers through his sweaty hair and swallowed hard.  _Josh and I just fucked on his kitchen floor. He literally fucked me into another universe. Where the hell did that come from?_ After a few minutes, Josh pulled out and rolled off of me so he was lying on his side, facing me.

            “You okay?” he asked, pushing the hair off of my sweaty face.

            I nodded. “That was incredible,” I admitted.

            He smiled. “I’ll say. Sorry I attacked you like that, I’ve just been wanting to fuck you since that day at the gas station,” he confessed.

            “Seriously? I’ve been wanting it since Drag Queen Bingo,” I told him.

            He laughed. “Well, I mean, I thought you were sexy as hell and I did want to fuck you then, but I honestly thought I’d never see you again. I’m definitely glad I did,” he said.

            “Is this going to make things weird between us now? I mean, we’re friends. We’re friends who just had incredibly hot sex on your kitchen floor,” I said.

            “It won’t if we don’t make it. We may be friends, Olive, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you again,” he told me.

            “Trust me, after that, I’m pretty sure you just ruined me for any other man, so you better fuck me again,” I giggled.

            “Really? Was I that good?” he asked.

            “The best, Josh,” I replied.

            “Same here. I don’t think I could live without having sex with you again,” he said.

            “I guess we’re going to add sex into our already unconventional friendship?” I suggested.

            “I’m down with it if you are,” he answered.

            “Oh believe me, I am more than down with it,” I agreed, shifting so I was on my side as well, my back pressed against his chest. Josh held me close and kissed my temple. I looked over at the abandoned slice of pizza on the floor that I had dropped earlier and giggled.

            “Why the laughing, Miss Fairs?” Josh asked.

            “You wanted the last slice of pizza? It’s all yours, Mr. Hutcherson.”


	64. Eloise and Olive Surprise Josh on Father's Day

                “Shhh, baby. You don’t want to wake daddy just yet,” I heard my wife whisper to our daughter Eloise. I was still half asleep, being woken up by the movement of my wife getting out of bed.

                “I want to cuddle with him,” Eloise said softly, trying her best to be quiet. Our daughter was a rambunctious four-year-old and being quiet was not exactly her strong suit.

                My wife chuckled. “Let’s make him a yummy breakfast and then you can cuddle with him, okay?” she suggested. I heard them both pad out of the room and I smiled, rolling over and stretching. I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to wake up completely yet until I got a cuddle in with my daughter. It was Father’s Day and I was happy I was home for once and not off on some far away location filming a new movie.

                I had just finished filming a week prior and was on a nice, long, four month break until my next project. I couldn’t wait to get in some real quality time with my wife and daughter and perhaps start trying a little harder for baby number two. We had been married a year and had been trying since then, with no such luck. I was sure it was all the stress and separation we were under, so hopefully now we could relax and things would start happening.

                I heard the two of them rustling around in the kitchen, pots and pans clanging together, the cracking of eggs, and my daughter’s sweet laughter bubbling from her chest. I had always missed this so much when I was off on set. Of course I got to talk to them on the phone and chat with them via Skype, but I wasn’t seeing and hearing these candid moments. I heard my wife murmur something to my daughter and she loudly agreed. My eyes cracked open at the sound of her skipping down the hallway and finally into the room.

 

                I squinted my eyes enough to see, but not enough so that she would know I was awake. She slowly walked over to the bed, the top of her head barely reaching the mattress as she attempted to climb on. I tried not to chuckle at the determination on her face while she clawed at the sheets, trying to get onto the bed. I could see she was getting upset and I finally gave up my sleeping act to help her onto the bed.

                “Daddy you’re supposed to be sleeping!” she chided me, even though she curled right into my arms.

                “I know baby, but if I was sleeping, who would help you get up onto the bed?” I asked, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

                She “harrumphed” a little bit, but gave me a small smile. “Happy daddy’s day!” she exclaimed.

                I laughed. “Thank you, baby,” I replied. “So what were you and mommy doing in the kitchen?”

                “We were making you a surprise breakfast!” she yelled before slapping her hand over her mouth and looking upset that she had spilled the beans.

                “Aw, breakfast for me?” I asked.

                She nodded as little tears filled her eyes. “But I messed it up! It was supposed to be a surprise!”

                I shushed her and kissed her forehead. “No, Ellie, you didn’t ruin anything. I’m still surprised. Thank you for making me breakfast.”

                “Mommy’s making it now. I got to do the mixing, but I’m not allowed to touch the stove when it’s on,” she told me.

                I nodded. “No, you are not. The last thing we want is for your little fingers to get burned,” I agreed.

                “Mommy said I can cuddle with you while she cooks. Is that okay?” she asked in a small voice.

                I looked at her disbelievingly. “Of course that’s okay. Why wouldn’t it be?” I questioned.

                “Because you’re tired from working,” she shrugged.

                I sighed. “I may be tired from working, but I’m never too tired to cuddle with you, Ellie,” I told her honestly. She gave me a big smile and rested her head in the crook of my neck. I held her tightly and took a moment to imbed this moment in my brain. Eloise was growing fast. The years seemed like they were flying by and I hated that I had missed so much already. Soon she would be in school and eventually think it was uncool to hang out with her dad. I wanted to remember every moment of her childhood when I would be the only man in her life.

                She shoved one of her thumbs in her mouth and used her fingers on her other hand to play with her hair like she always did when she was going to go to sleep. I smiled as I watched her; her eyes closed and her breathing turning slower and deeper. I marveled in not only how much she looked like Olive, but how much of myself I saw in her as well.  Her hand fell from her hair as she started to fall asleep. I closed my eyes as well, my body still exhausted from not getting enough sleep over the past two months I was away.

                A soft giggle and a clicking sound woke me from my short slumber and I groggily lifted my head from the pillow to see my wife sitting on the edge of the bed, her camera in hand. I groaned and laid my head back down, Eloise’s hair tickling my nose. She had stirred a bit when I moved, but her mouth was still wide open, soft snores emitting from it.

                “You two are just too cute for words,” Olive gushed quietly.

                “Only pictures can really describe it?” I asked.

                “Of course. I’ll have to send a copy of that to your mom,” she said. I turned my head around and smiled at my wife. She was still in her pajamas and I could see and smell the tray of food on my nightstand, making my stomach growl.

                “That smells incredible, baby,” I said.

                “It’s all for you and Ellie. Happy Father’s Day, Josh,” she said, leaning down to give me a kiss despite my morning breath.

                “Thank you,” I replied. It took a few minutes to completely awaken Eloise, but once I mentioned breakfast was ready, she practically shot out of the bed.

                “WAFFLES!” she exclaimed excitedly. Olive and I laughed as she scrambled to sit up, ready to devour the waffles that were waiting for her. I sat up as well, Eloise burrowed into my side as Olive placed the tray in front of us.

                “Aren’t you going to eat with us?” I asked, noticing there were only two plates on the tray.

                She shook her head. “I ate while I was cooking. It’s father’s day; a day for you and your daughter to have your breakfast together.”

                “You gots waffles too, daddy!” Eloise shrieked.

                Olive had cooked me waffles, eggs, and sausage and had just given Eloise a waffle since she wasn’t a fan of eggs and couldn’t eat much to begin with. “I see that, baby! Now, let’s dig in.”

                I helped her cut her food and gave her some syrup while Olive went back into the kitchen to clean things up.

                “Good, huh?” I asked Eloise as she awkwardly held her fork and shoved a piece of waffle in her mouth, getting syrup all over her face in the process.

                “Mhm!” she replied, her mouth completely full.

                I laughed and started eating my food which was delicious. Olive had always been an amazing cook and this was no exception. When we were dating, before Eloise was born, we used to have breakfast for dinner all the time. We would make eggs, pancakes, waffles, sausage, and bacon. It was always our favorite night and cooking everything was always a nice way for us to spend time together. We hadn’t done that in a long time, but just eating my food brought back so many memories.

                Now I was making new memories; this time spending the morning of Father’s Day in bed with my daughter who I would never be able to live without, eating breakfast. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

                “How’s the food?” Olive asked, coming back into the bedroom.

                “Fantastic as always. Thank you,” I said, giving her a sticky, syrupy kiss when she sat back down.

                “Of course. This is the first Father’s Day you’ve been home for, so I just wanted to make it nice and quiet. Just the three of us spending some quality time together,” she said.

                “I couldn’t think of a better way to spend Father’s Day,” I agreed. Once Eloise and I finished breakfast, I argued with my wife as she took the tray away. “You cooked, the least I can do is clean my own plate.”

                “It’s your day, Josh. You won’t let me lift a finger on Mother’s Day, now I won’t let you lift one either,” she told me.

                “Oh! Can I give daddy his present now?” Eloise asked excitedly.

                Olive smiled. “Of course. Go get it,” she said. I laughed as Eloise practically hopped off the bed and ran out of the room. Less than a minute later, she was back, holding a card that was made out of construction paper and a package that my wife had obviously wrapped. I helped her back on the bed and pulled her on to my lap.

                “A present? For me?” I asked.

                She nodded. “I picked it out and I made the card!” she told me.

                “Well then, I know I’ll love it,” I replied, kissing the top of her head. Olive rejoined us, a smile on her face as Eloise gave me the card and the package.

                The construction paper was a light blue with red and dark blue scribbles all over it. Olive had helped her with the writing and spelling and it was adorable to see her massive letters on the page. She had drawn what I could only assume was me as a stick figure as well as herself.

                “This is the best card I’ve ever gotten, baby. Thank you,” I told her, kissing the tip of her little nose.

                “Open your present!” she begged, bouncing up and down.

                I tore the paper open and revealed a dark green, leather box with a small gold crown in the bottom corner as well as the word “ROLEX”. I looked up at Olive in shock and she shrugged.

                “I took her with me to pick out which one she liked for you,” she told me. I slowly opened the lid to reveal a mint, platinum watch with a black and platinum analog face.

                “Wow,” I whispered, taking it out of the box and examining it.

                “It’s engraved,” she told me.

                I turned it over in my hands and saw on the back of the face was engraved in small print, “To the best father in the world, Love you always, Eloise.”

                “Wow,” I said again. I had always been a huge fan of watches, previously owning a Rolex that had unfortunately broken while I was on set a few years back. I had never gotten around to getting another one, but even if I did, it would not have been as perfect as this one.

                “Do you like it?” Eloise asked apprehensively.

                “Like it?” I asked, looking down at her. “I love it, sweetheart, especially because it has your name on it,” I told her truthfully.

                She smiled wide and threw her arms around my neck. “Thank you,” I mouthed to my wife, still unable to believe the amount of time and money she had put into the gift. I know people may think it’s just a watch and you can just pick it out no problem.

                For me, if I was going to wear something all the time, I wanted it to reflect who I was. This was the exact watch I had kept pining over for years without actually buying it. I could have, but I always held back, thinking I didn’t need it that badly. There were more important things in my life than the type of watch I was wearing. I was grateful that Olive knew me so well and helped make sure that this was something that was going to reflect me and something that was going to mean something to me.

                “Anytime, anything,” she whispered.

                I let Eloise go momentarily to hold and kiss Olive, still ecstatic over my amazing Father’s Day present. I put the watch on and smiled down at it.

                “Now I’ll always have a piece of you with me. I love you,” I said to Eloise, kissing the top of her head.

                She giggled and wrapped her arms around me again. “I love you too, daddy. Happy father’s day,” she replied.


	65. Josh and Olive go Camping

                “Sweetheart, I promise it will be fun!” Josh said, pulling his large backpack down from the top of his closet.

                I sat on his bed watching him and raising my eyebrow. “Fun? What part of sleeping on the ground, peeing in a hole in the ground, and getting eaten alive by mosquitos is fun to you?”

                “All of that! It’ll be just us and nature, roughing it together,” he replied, putting the backpack down next to me.

                “You’re kidding, right? I don’t want to rough it, Josh. I want to stay in a nice hotel, preferably on the beach where I don’t have to cook my own food over a fire and they have access to running water!” I exclaimed.

                He sighed and sat down, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Come on, Olive. It’ll just be the two of us, alone, away from everything and everyone. We can lay down and watch the stars every night, make love as loud as we want without anyone around to hear us,” he murmured, pressing a kiss under my ear.

 

                “Mmmm,” I hummed, lifting my hand up to run my fingers through his hair as he continued to kiss my weak spot. I was complete putty in his hands when he kissed my neck. It was like my brain and body were under his complete control.

                “Please come camping with me, baby? I want to be alone with you so bad. I promise I’ll make it worth your while,” he whispered between kisses.

                “O-Okay,” I stuttered, finally giving in.

                Josh stopped his kisses and gave me a breathtaking smile. “Thank you, Olive,” he said, kissing me on the lips before getting up and going back to packing while I sat there a shaking, horny, mess on the bed.

                “Are you serious right now?” I asked him.

                He turned around and gave me a questioning look. “Am I serious about what?”

                “You’re not going to finish what you started? You know what you do to me when you kiss me there!” I exclaimed, pointing to my neck that was still wet with his saliva.

                He smiled mischievously at me. “I know exactly what I do to you when I kiss you there. I have to have some insurance to make sure that you come camping with me. If I give you what you want now, how do I know you won’t turn around and retract your promise?”

                I narrowed my eyes. “Oh, you are evil, Hutcherson. Pure evil,” I told him.

                “I told you, Olive, I will make it worth your while,” he said.

                “You, sir, better get ready for some hardcore oral penance when we get there,” I warned him and he smiled even bigger.

                “Oh, I’m looking forward to it,” he promised. I groaned in annoyance while he went back to getting the essentials packed. We were officially going camping for three days starting the next morning and I was dreading it more than anything.

                I have never been much of a woodsy type of girl. I didn’t like bugs and I didn’t like not having a real shower. Just the thought of sleeping on the ground was twisting my stomach into knots. Josh on the other hand, loved camping and being one with nature. I’m sure if he wasn’t an actor, he would turn into Chris McCandless and go live in an abandoned Volkswagen in the middle of nowhere in Alaska. I on the other hand would rather stay in a nice hotel with a bathroom that had toilet paper.

                After a night of tossing and turning with dread, I sleepily followed a very excited Josh out of his parent’s house before the sun had even begun to rise. I had no idea where we were headed exactly, but Josh had said it was more southwest, near the Indiana boarder along the Ohio River. I must have dozed off at some point because the next time I opened my eyes, the sun was up and were definitely away from civilization.

                “What time is it?” I asked groggily, stretching as much as I could.

                “Almost ten thirty. You were out like a light after being restless all night,” he replied.

                I grimaced. “Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.”

                “Any particular reason why?” he asked.

                I sighed. “Because the thought of sleeping on the ground for the next two nights filled me with dread,” I answered honestly.

                His lips puckered for a quick second, but he never took his eyes off the road. “I packed the air mattress last minute,” he said quietly.

                I looked over at him with surprise. “You did?”

                He nodded. “I know camping isn’t your thing at all, and I didn’t want you to be miserable just because I really wanted to rough it and basically sleep in the dirt. I bought the air mattress, and really nice, massive, sleeping bag for us, and of course, a huge tent.”

                “Josh,” I whispered. “You didn’t have to do all that for me.”

                “Yes I did,” he insisted. “I did it because I love you and I want you to be comfortable.” I smiled at how sweet his gesture was. “That, and having crazy sex on the hard ground would suck for both of us.”  _And there is the real Josh Hutcherson._

                I laughed. “You’re so sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

                “You said it yourself; I owe you oral penance and when we get everything set up, you better be ready to collect because I’ll be down there awhile,” he promised.

                I shivered in pleasure at the thought and pressed my thighs together. “You better plan on feeding me actual food first. I’m going to need the energy.”

                Josh chuckled. “There’s a McDonalds at our exit. We can get some food there,” he said. Twenty minutes later, Josh pulled off the freeway and sure enough, there were the beautiful Golden Arches. We ordered food through the drive-thru and ate in the parking lot, needing our strength to get to the camp site with all of our belongings. Once we were finished eating, it wasn’t too long of a drive to the deserted camp grounds. Josh’s car was the only one in the lot and I was a little freaked out about it.

                “You okay?” he asked, sensing my hesitation.

                “There’s no one around,” I replied.

                He nodded. “Yeah, that’s the whole point. Alone time.”

                “But what if something happens? There’s no one, Josh. What if we get attacked by a bear or one of us gets hurt?” I asked frantically.

                Josh grabbed my hand tightly in attempt to calm me down. “It’s all right, Olive. You don’t have to panic. There is a ranger’s station less than a mile from our camping area and a radio set up for us to use just in case.”

                “There is?” I questioned doubtfully.

                He nodded. “Of course, Olive. Did you really think I’d take you to deserted woods? These are real camp grounds, set up for people. I wouldn’t risk our safety like that.”

                I took a deep breath and felt a little stupid thinking Josh would put either of us in jeopardy. “Sorry,” I mumbled. “I don’t really know how these things work.”

                He smiled reassuringly at me. “It’s all right. I also haven’t told you the best part.”

                “There’s a best part about all of this?” I asked sarcastically.

                “We’re near a bathroom. A real bathroom with plumbing,” he replied.

                My eyes widened excitedly. “You mean, I don’t have to pee in a hole?”

                He shook his head. “Nope. Now, there’s no shower, but there is a nice creek close by that we can rinse off and cool down in.”

                “As long as there is a toilet, I’m okay!” I exclaimed. Josh and I unpacked the car, him carrying most of the heavy stuff as we made our way to our camp grounds.

                “How much longer?” I asked for what seemed to be the millionth time. I was sweating profusely and my arms and back were aching from carrying our belongings for what felt like miles.

                “We’ll be there soon, Olive,” he replied calmly. We hadn’t even gotten to the grounds yet and I was already over it. I wanted so badly to just turn around and beg him to drive us back to his parents’ where there was a shower, a pool, and air conditioning.

                After following him for another twenty minutes and wanting to kill myself more and more each step of the way, we finally came to a clearing that had a fire pit set up in the middle with long, bench like logs surrounding it.

                “Well, here we are!” he exclaimed.

                “Fucking finally,” I grumbled, unceremoniously dropping everything to the ground and digging through one of the coolers for a bottle of water. I could feel Josh’s eyes on me as I downed the whole thing in one go before gasping for air and wiping the sweat off of my forehead with my forearm.

                “You okay?” he asked.

                I glared at him. “Maybe a little warning about a two mile hike would have been nice.”

                He grimaced. “I knew you wouldn’t come if I told you about it.”

                I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t even want to come in the first place!” I exclaimed and pointed my finger at him. “You forced me to come through the power of seduction and your crazy witchcraft!”

                Josh chuckled. “I didn’t hear you complaining about it.”

                I huffed and grabbed the roll of toilet paper from my backpack. “Where the hell is this bathroom?” I asked.

                Josh tossed me over the map and pointed to his right. “About five hundred feet that way. Scream my name if you get lost.”

                I stomped away from our camp grounds, not making eye contact with him and found the bathroom. It had about four stalls in it, the only light blinking as if it were about to go out. It was dirty and I didn’t want to think about the last time someone had cleaned it. I went into one of the stalls and locked it, taking care of business as quick as I could. When I was finished and about to leave, I saw a horrifying, massive, eight legged creature on the door.

                My breathing picked up as I stared at the spider, unable to move. The next thing I knew, I was screaming at the top of my lungs. What seemed like seconds later, I heard the door burst open.

                “OLIVE!” Josh shouted.

                “J-Josh!” I stuttered.

                “What is it? Are you okay? Why are you screaming?” he asked frantically, standing outside the door.

                “There’s a massive spider on the door, Josh,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. The spider started to slowly move and I screamed again.

                “Okay, Olive, relax. Just stay calm. It can’t hurt you,” he told me, even though I could hear the fear in his voice. The one thing Josh and I both feared was spiders. Every time there was one around it was a battle over who would kill it.

                “Josh, I can’t move. I can’t open the door!” I cried.

                I heard him take a deep breath. “You can, Olive. Just relax and don’t think about it. It can’t hurt you,” he repeated.

                “Then  _you_  open the door!” I shouted.

                “I can’t. It’s locked from your side,” he replied.

                “It’s a twist lock! You can stick something in the slot on your side and untwist it! You’re supposed to be the man, Josh! OPEN THE DOOR!” I yelled, having a full blow panic attack now as the spider slowly crawled across the door.

                “All right, hold on,” he grumbled. I heard him shift around in his pockets before I heard the click of his Swiss Army Knife opening. I watched wide-eyed as the lock twisted before he went to push the door open, sending the spider straight for me.

                I shrieked at the top of my lungs and jumped out of the way, straight into his arms.

                “Sh, it’s okay. You’re okay,” he tried to soothe me, running his fingers through my hair. My whole body was trembling and I wanted nothing more than to get out of that bathroom. He quickly led me back outside and walked us back to our camp grounds, his arm tightly around my shaking shoulders. He sat me down on one of the logs and pulled a flask out of his backpack.

                “What’s that?” I asked.

                “You didn’t think I’d come here without alcohol, did you?” he retorted. “It’s Jack Daniels. I know you hate it, but take a swig. It’ll help calm you down a little bit.”

                I snatched the flask from him and downed a generous sip, not caring at how much I hated it. When I was done, I handed it back to him and tried to make my hands stop shaking. Josh set the tent up and inflated the air mattress inside of it while my heart rate returned to normal. When he was done, he came over and squatted down in front of me. “Want to go for a swim in the creek?” he asked.

                I nodded, wanting desperately to remove the dirt and sweat from my skin. Josh led the way to the creek which was less than a quarter of a mile away. The water was freezing, but it felt refreshing on my overheated flesh. Josh and I knew there was no one around, so we stripped down to our birthday suits and jumped in, giggling at the fact we were skinny dipping where anyone would have been able to see us.

                He pulled me close, letting me feel every inch of his hard body against mine. “See, camping isn’t so bad, is it?” he asked.

                I rolled my eyes. “Josh, us being alone and naked in this creek is the only fun thing that’s happened today,” I reminded him.

            He pouted and I giggled. “Well, how about we make things a little more interesting, huh?” he wagered.

            I bit my lip before going in to kiss him hard. Josh swam us over to a group of large flat rocks and lifted me out of the water so I was laying down on it. He proceeded to pay his oral penance enthusiastically, eliciting loud moans and screams of his name while my fingers tangled in his hair, keeping him right where I needed him. After two orgasms, I pushed his head away from the overstimulation and tried to get my body to stop twitching. Josh kissed my inner thighs, not helping matters at all.

            “Please,” I begged pitifully.

            “Too much?” he asked, a smile playing on his face.

            I nodded, feeling extremely sensitive to even the lightest touch, but Josh didn’t stop.

            “Then this should be mind blowing,” he whispered, pulling himself out of the water so he was hovering over me. Without warning, he plunged in to me and I screamed, clawing at his back. He began a relentless rhythm and I couldn’t decide whether it was too much for me or not enough.

            I couldn’t stop clenching around him and my thighs were shaking violently. It was almost as if one giant orgasm was taking over my body and I was powerless to stop it. Josh encouraged it, murmuring filthy things in my ear and shoving his hand between us to increase my pleasure. When we had finished, I practically threw him off of me and curled into a ball on the smooth surface of the rock, panting and trembling.

            “You all right?” he asked, out of breath and stroking my back.

            “I need a minute,” I whimpered. Josh held me close for a little until my heart rate returned to normal. I turned around in his arms, a definite goofy smile on both of our faces.

            “That was intense,” he said. “I could hear your screams echoing throughout the trees. It was so fucking hot.”

            I grimaced a little. “I hope none of the rangers heard. The last thing I would need is for them to come rushing over here to see us in our afterglow.”

            Josh laughed and we both got back into the water to finish washing ourselves off. Once I felt somewhat normal again, we redressed and headed back to our camping area. Josh started a fire while I went into the tent to put on some clean clothes. It was starting to get dark out and I felt like there were bugs crawling all over me.

            “So, what’s for dinner?” I asked, sitting down on the log next to him as the fire roared.

            “I brought some hotdogs and for dessert, s’mores of course,” he replied.

            Josh picked up a stick off the ground and handed it to me. “Um, why do I need a stick?” I asked.

            “To cook your hotdog on,” he said matter-of-factly.

            “You didn’t bring anything to do that with? We have to use dirty sticks?” I asked, feeling disgusted.

            “This is camping, Olive. I’ve done it a million times and I’ve been fine. You’re not going to die from a little tiny bit of dirt,” he told me.

            I grumbled, not happy about the situation, but my stomach was growling loudly. Josh taught me how to make sure my roasted hotdog was done before I devoured two and he devoured four. After he put the rest of the hotdogs away, he broke out the s’mores supplies. I was excited, roasting my marshmallow to a perfect golden brown while Josh set his on fire, burning it black.

            We got sticky eating our dessert, giggling as he licked the gooey marshmallow off the corner of my lips. “This is the only thing I like about camping,” I said.

            “Just the s’mores?” he asked.

            “Well, and the sex we had, but that was the first time I’ve ever had sex while camping,” I replied.

            He grinned, finishing off his s’more before pulling me into his arms. “It’s so nice out here, not having cameras shoved in our faces or being secretly photographed. It’s just us,” he mused.

            I smiled. “I agree, it is nice, but I still think a beach resort getaway would have been better,” I teased, jabbing his ribs with my elbow. He laughed and turned to face me. I felt something strange on my eyelid, but ignored it, thinking it was just my bangs. Josh’s expression changed to show that he was confused and the next thing I knew, he smacked me in the eye.

            “WHAT THE FUCK!” I shouted, reaching up grab where he had hit me.

            “Oh, shit! I’m so sorry, honey! I didn’t mean to smack you like that!” he exclaimed, trying to pull my hand away from my face.

            “Fuck you! Why the hell did you smack me?” I asked angrily.

            “You had a mosquito on your eyelid! I was trying to kill it!” he explained, holding his hand up and showing me the giant, squashed mosquito in the palm of his hand.

            “Jesus fucking Christ, you could have at least warned me or just informed me that one was there! I could have taken care of it myself without the black eye!” I yelled.

            “I’m really sorry, Olive. I just reacted quickly. I swear I never meant to smack you,” he said guiltily. I looked over and saw that he looked terrible about it.

            I sighed and removed my hand from my face. “I’m sorry, too. Thank you for killing it,” I whispered.

            Josh gave me a small smile before placing a tender kiss on the eye that had been struck. Less than a minute later, I could barely open it. Josh may have killed the mosquito, but not before it bit me. I looked into my little handheld mirror and groaned at the giant bite on my eyelid, making it seem as if it was swelled shut.

            “I look like Sloth!” I complained.

            “Here, take some Benadryl,” he insisted, giving me a bottle of water and a pink pill. I took them both gratefully and fifteen minutes later, I was about to fall into a coma. Josh helped me into bed before changing into his pajamas and joining me, zipping the tent up for the night.

            “Are you warm enough?” he asked, holding me close under the massive sleeping bag.

            “Yes,” I slurred, fighting to stay conscious. “Can we go home tomorrow? I don’t think I can do another day of this,” I admitted, feeling guilty for wanting to cut our time short.

            He laughed lightly. “Of course we can. I know it hasn’t been the best getaway, but at least you gave it a shot with me. How about we go somewhere tropical, hm?” he suggested.

            I gave him a stupid, drugged out, smile. “I think that’s right up my alley,” I answered.

            He leaned down and kissed me. “I love you, baby. Sleep tight,” he whispered.

            “I love you, too,” I answered before finally submitting to the inevitable Benadryl induced sleep.


	66. A Bad Fight Between Josh and Olive

                “Olive, I have to show you something, but I need you to sit down first,” my co-worker, Jade, told me while walking into my office.

                “What is it?” I asked, going back to my desk to sit down.

                “I was trolling some websites on my lunch break and I saw something regarding Josh,” she said carefully.

                “What do you mean? If it’s some crap from the National Enquirer, then odds are, it’s not true,” I replied, even though I could feel my heart beating out of my chest.  _What could she have possibly seen that could make her act like this?_

Jade took a deep breath and set her laptop down in front of me, showing me the article from TMZ. “ _Josh Hutcherson and Mystery Brunette in secret Rendezvous.”_  Underneath it were pictures of Josh, clearly looking nervous and trying to hide himself, walking closely next to a young, beautiful brunette in a tight pencil skirt and holding a briefcase.

 

                “What is this?” I whispered, scrolling down more. You could tell they were having an intense conversation, their mouths near each other’s ears and smiling widely. Then there were pictures of them walking into what looked like an apartment building. Then there were even more pictures of Josh walking out two hours later, smiling widely with his hands in his pockets and his hair all messed up. I sat there in shock, unable to believe what I was seeing.

                “Olive,” Jade started, but I shook my head.

                “No. Nothing happened. I’m going to call him and if nothing happened, he’ll tell me about her,” I said, pulling my cell phone out and dialing Josh. He picked up on the third ring.

                “Hello?” he answered.

                “Hey,” I greeted, trying to keep my cool.

                “Hi, baby. What are you doing?” he asked.

                “Nothing, just hanging out with Jade before our lunch break officially ends. What did you do today?” I wondered.

                “Nothing much. Hung out with Driver, cleaned the barbeque, washed the Jeep,” he listed.

                “You didn’t leave the house at all today?” I asked.

                He cleared his throat. “Nope, unless you count going out into the driveway as leaving the house,” he responded, giving one hard laugh at the end.

                 _He’s lying. He always clears his throat and gives one laugh when he’s lying about something._  “Oh, well that sounds productive,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “Well, I need to get back to work. I’ll see you later.”

                “Okay. Love you, baby,” he replied.

                “Love you,” I got out before hanging up the phone. “He’s cheating on me. He lied to me, Jade. He said he hasn’t left the house all day, when clearly he did. I don’t get it! We’re happy, at least I thought we were!” I exclaimed, tears coming to my eyes as the gravity of the situation hit me.

                “Olive,” Jade whispered, hugging me tightly. “I’m so sorry. If you need anything, even if it’s someone to help you kick his ass, you can always call me.”

                “Thanks,” I choked out, pulling back and sobbing into my hands. “How could he do this to me? Am I not good enough? I knew that girls like  _her_  were his type, but I thought he got over that when we started dating!”            

                “Stop, Olive,” Jade demanded. “You’re  _too_  good for him, that’s the problem. If he has to go out there and fuck some skanky bitch, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

                “But I love him, Jade,” I cried, the tears pouring freely now. “I hate him more than anything right now, but I love him. I hate that he just hurt me so bad.”

                Jade sighed. “I know, sweetie. He’s an asshole who doesn’t realize what he has.”

                “Had,” I corrected her. “I can’t be with him, Jade. Now that I know that he’s sleeping around, I refuse to be with him. For all I know, this could have been going on for a long time.”

                Jade looked at me sympathetically. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

                I wiped my eyes and started packing my things up. “I have to go home. I need to pack whatever I have over there up and just move permanently back into my apartment,” I sniffled.

                I had moved in with Josh a year prior, but I still had my old apartment since I owned it and it wasn’t exactly a good time to sell it since the economy was so bad. Now I was happy I didn’t sell it because I was going to have to move back in.

            “Do you want me to come with you?” Jade asked.

            I shook my head, shutting down my computer and slinging my bag over my shoulder. “I need to do this myself,” I replied.

            She nodded. “All right. If you need help moving your stuff or anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”

            “Okay. Thanks,” I said, giving her a hug before leaving the office. I cried the entire way back to the house, unable to get the pictures of Josh and that other girl out of my head. My heart was completely shattered and I didn’t even know how I was going to react when I saw Josh.

            When I finally pulled into the driveway, my hands were shaking and I felt sick.  _How is he going to react? Is he going to deny it? There’s picture evidence. He can’t think he can fool me._

            I took a deep breath and got out of the car, getting more and more nervous each step towards the door. My heart was pounding in my chest by the time I got inside and I heard footsteps coming towards me.

            “Olive? You’re home early,” I heard Josh say as he came in to view. He was smiling, but as soon as he saw my distraught expression, his face fell. “Baby? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked. He walked towards me, his arms outstretched, but I stepped back.

            “Don’t fucking touch me,” I spat out, my anger now rising to the front.

            Josh stopped in his tracks, giving me a quizzical look. “Olive?”

            “How could you do this to me, Josh? You officially fucking broke my heart. Are you happy now?” I asked, my hands shaking in my rage.

            “Olive, what are you talking about? How did I break your heart?” he questioned.

            “Don’t play dumb with me, Josh! You’re a famous celebrity! Did you not think that photographers weren’t going to catch you in the act? Did you think I wasn’t ever going to find out?” I yelled.

            “Baby, I really have no idea what you’re talking about,” he insisted.

            “The fucking brunette in the tight skirt this morning, Josh!” I shouted. I saw his eyes flame with recognition.

            “Olive, please calm down. That wasn’t what it looked like,” he insisted.

            I laughed. “Oh, really? You seemed to be getting pretty cozy with her! Let me guess, you were whispering all the dirty things you were going to do to her once you were alone, am I right?” I asked, crossing my arms across my chest.

            Josh narrowed his eyes. Now he was mad. “Don’t even fucking start, Olive. I never laid a hand on that girl,” he said.

            “No, you just put your dick in her,” I spat back.

            “Jesus Christ, would you fucking listen to yourself? You’re being crazy!” he exclaimed.

            “Crazy? CRAZY?! I’m being crazy because you were photographed with another girl going into an apartment building, and then photographed again coming out looking freshly fucked? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” I shouted, not believing what I was hearing from him.

            “Nothing happened, God dammit! I love you, Olive. Only you! Maybe if you actually knew how to trust me, you would see that!” he yelled.

            “How am I supposed to trust you when you’re screwing this slut and God knows how many other sluts behind my back? If you weren’t screwing her, Josh, then please, enlighten me. What exactly were you two doing?” I asked.

            His face fell and he scratched the back of his neck. “I can’t tell you,” he whispered.

            I shook my head and shoved him out of the way as I stomped past him, going straight into the bedroom.

            “Olive, what you are doing?” he asked, following right behind me. I got my suitcase out from under the bed and started grabbing my clothes out of the closet, shoving them all in there without care.

            “What does it look like I’m doing? You fucking cheated on me, you asshole! If you think for one second I’m going to stay with you then you’re an idiot as well!” I shouted. I turned around and saw Josh taking the clothes out of my suitcase.

            “Stop it, dammit!” he yelled back. “Can you stop being such a stubborn bitch for five minutes and talk to me like an adult?”

            “Eat shit, Josh! You lost that chance when you went behind my back and screwed someone else! The only thing I want you to tell me is why you did it. Why the fuck would you do that to me? Am I not good enough for you? Am I not pretty enough? What is it? Do I suck in bed?” I asked, the feeling of overwhelming grief taking me over once again as I started to cry.

            He went to put my clothes back in the closet, but I grabbed them right back out of his hands and shoved them back in my suitcase, zipping it up. I didn’t have nearly all of my possessions, but I could always come back later with help. Josh grabbed my suitcase and threw it across the room. “You’re not leaving!” he shouted.

            I looked at him incredulously. “The hell I’m not!” I sobbed, trying to shove him out of the way again. Josh grabbed my arm to stop me, but I just slapped him as hard as I could in the face. He flinched and I went to yank my arm out of his grasp, but he didn’t budge.

            “Baby, please,” he begged, his voice shaking.

            “Let me go! I hate you!” I screamed, hitting him again.

            He pulled my tighter to him, trying to wrap his arms around me. “Please, baby. Just listen to me,” he begged, sounding crestfallen.

            “Get the fuck off me, Josh! You don’t get to be sad! This is your fault and you can just go fuck yourself if you think I’m going to feel sorry for you!” I exclaimed, more tears pouring down my face.

            He turned me towards him and I could see he was defeated. “Olive, I love you. I didn’t cheat on you. You know that,” he insisted.

            I shook my head. “No. I saw you, Josh. You were caught. Now please just let me go!” I cried.

            “You just assume you know what you saw! Nothing sexual ever happened and we did not go back to an apartment! Why do you think I would hurt you like that?” he asked. “Jesus Christ, I’m pissed the fuck off that you don’t even trust me or believe me! You believe some stupid tabloid article!”

            “What am I supposed to think, Josh, when you’re pictured having a grand old time with some young, beautiful, exotic looking girl in a tight skirt, huh? What would you do if you were in my position?” I asked.

            “I don’t know, maybe not come home like a fucking banshee, start packing my shit while simultaneously calling you a cheating whore?” he sneered.

            “Then answer my fucking question! What the hell were you doing with her?” I asked, yanking out of his grasp.

            “I can’t tell you,” he insisted, looking tortured.

            I rolled my eyes. “What kind of bull shit answer is that? How the hell can I trust you if you’re not telling me the truth? Why can’t you just tell me?” I questioned.

            He sighed. “I can’t tell you, Olive.”

            “Well, then I guess I’m leaving. Have a good time with her, Josh. Obviously you want her more than you’ve ever wanted me. I’ll come back for the rest of my stuff,” I said, choking on a sob while pushing past him to get my suitcase that he had thrown.

            He chased after me as I made my way towards the door, begging me to stop what I was doing. “Olive, please! You can’t leave!” he shouted.

            “What choice do I have? You broke my fucking heart, Josh! You can’t even tell me the truth when I confront you about it! I can’t be around you anymore, not after this,” I responded, trying to stop my tears and be strong. I was so hurt and angry, that they just kept flowing.

            I went to open the door when Josh shouted, “I WAS PICKING UP YOUR ENGAGEMENT RING!”

            I stopped dead and turned around, looking at him with a mixture of disbelief and shock. “What did you say?” I asked, unsure I heard him correctly.

            “I was picking up your engagement ring,” he said, this time softer.

            “My… my… engage… what?” I asked, gaping at him like a fish out of water.

            He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Her name is Jasmine and she’s a famous jeweler. I met her and her partner, Elizabeth, at that GLAAD event I went to a few months ago and I asked her if she could make your engagement ring. I wanted to design it myself, but no other jeweler would give me exactly what I was looking for,” he explained.

            “She’s gay?” I asked, still completely shocked.

            “Yes, Olive. If you would have just let me explain myself instead of accusing me, we could have avoided this whole mess. Anyway, she agreed to help me and we had been designing it for a month. It was just finished today. She met me on the corner on her way to the office and I went in with her. That building we went into? Her jewelry shop is on the third floor. It’s all shops on each floor. It used to be an apartment building before they gutted it,” he told me.

            “Josh.” I whispered.

            “Anyway, we made some last minute adjustments and made sure everything was completely perfect. I had this whole perfect weekend planned out for us in two weeks. I was going to take you up to Napa and we were going to spend the weekend at a vineyard resort and I was going to propose,” he said.

            I couldn’t believe it. I had just completely ruined my own surprise proposal and I felt like such a bitch. I immediately burst in to tears again and fell to my knees. Josh rushed forward and held me in his arms, trying to soothe me.

            “I’m s-so s-sorry!” I cried, clinging to him.

            “I’m sorry too, baby. I should have known I was going to be followed at some point or another. I’m so sorry that I didn’t at least tell you I was meeting up with a friend. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” he whispered.

            I calmed myself down after a minute and kissed him hard. “I’m sorry for not trusting you. I know you would never cheat on me, I was just so upset when I saw the photos and you lied to me over the phone about what you did today. I love you so much and I don’t want to lose you,” I admitted.

            Josh smiled and pushed the hair out of my eyes before standing up and scooping me into his arms, bringing me into the bedroom and sitting me on the edge of the bed. He rummaged through his nightstand drawer for a moment before pulling out a black velvet box and kneeling in front of me, his elbows on either side of my thighs.

            “I know this isn’t as romantic as Napa would have been, but it’s just to two of us so it’s perfect. Olive Grace Fairs, I love you so much and I promise to love you each and everyday for the rest of your life. I want you, not just today, but forever. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world and I still have a hard time believing you’re mine sometimes,” he said.

            He opened the box and I gasped. It was a gorgeous, halo, diamond ring and it was completely perfect.

            “You’re my soul mate, Olive. Will you marry me?” he asked hopefully.

            I started to cry again, but this time because I had never been so happy. “Of course I will, Josh.”

            He smiled widely and took the ring out of the box before slipping it on to my left ring finger. “Perfect fit,” he said.

            I nodded. “Just like us.”


	67. Bathroom Tryst

                The shrill ringing of my cell phone alarm awoke me unceremoniously from my deep slumber. I groaned and rolled over, turning it off before rubbing my eyes.  _How is it seven o’clock already?_  I yawned widely and rolled over again, hoping to collide with the warm body of my boyfriend, but was sorely disappointed to find his side of the bed empty, the sheets cold. I cracked my eyes open and noted that he hadn’t even slept in his spot. I sat up, suddenly wide awake. Josh was working on his latest film and for the past week, all of his shoots had been taking place at night. He would be home sleeping most of the day while I was at work and we’d have about an hour of time together in between me coming home and him leaving to go to set.

                Josh would usually come in at around six in the morning and get right into bed, cuddling with me for an hour until I had to wake up and get to work. The fact that he wasn’t next to me, and hadn’t been, concerned me and my heart began to race.  _What if he fell asleep at the wheel?_  I was about to pick up my phone and call him when I heard a soft splashing of water coming from the bathroom. I looked over and saw the door was slightly ajar, a sliver of dim light across the floor. I breathed a sigh of relief and got out of bed, padding towards the bathroom.

 

                “Josh?” I asked softly, my voice full of sleep.

                “Mmmm,” he replied, sounding exhausted. I slowly pushed the door open and saw him lying in the bathtub, steam floating over the surface. His eyes were open into slits and his head was resting back on a towel.

                “You okay?” I asked, walking over towards him.

                “My body is so sore. They let me do all my own stunts. The harnesses were killing me and I had to do about nine takes where they just yanked me back,” he explained.

                I frowned and walked over, sitting on the edge of the bath and running my fingers through his hair. “Is the hot water helping at least?”

                He opened his eyes wider and took my hand, bringing it to his lips so he could kiss my palm. “Yes. I’m just glad I didn’t pull anything.”

                I nodded. “So am I. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt. How many more night shoots do you have?” I questioned.

                “Six. I hate it. I miss you so much, Olive. Only spending a total of two hours with you each day is killing me. I hate that we’re both always too tired to do anything except lie in bed and cuddle. I can’t wait for all this to be over so I can spend some real time with you,” he complained.

                “I know how you feel. I don’t like sleeping alone. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and reach for you before I forget you’re not there,” I admitted. Josh sighed and sat up further in the tub.

                “I’m sorry, Olive,” he whispered.

                I shook my head. “It’s your job, Josh. I knew that when we started this relationship. I don’t want you to feel bad about it because you can’t help it. I wish I could sleep next to your every night, but I understand why I can’t. Seeing you living your dream is just as rewarding to me,” I said.

                Josh gave me a small smile. “Thank you, Olive. I love what I do and I’m so grateful for it, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t miss you.”

                I chuckled. “I’d be very upset if you didn’t miss me.”

                Josh gave me a full smile before his eyes drifted over my body. “Jesus I must be more tired than I thought. I can’t believe it took me this long to notice your… outfit,” he said huskily.

                I blushed and bit my lip. I was wearing tiny gray and white striped panties with little pink bows on them and a gray spaghetti strap tank top. I looked down into the water and saw Josh growing below the waist.

                “And I can’t believe it took me this long to realize you were naked,” I whispered. Josh smiled and pulled me down into the water, making me shriek. I was now sitting sideways on his lap, my calves and feet still dangling out over the edge as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

                “Josh, I have to go to work,” I groaned as he started kissing and sucking on my neck. He pulled back slightly and looked me in the eyes.

                “Do you think you can afford to be late, just this once?” he asked. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

                I swallowed hard, feeling his fingers gliding across the wet skin of my thigh. “Mmmmm fuck it. They can deal with me being late.”

                “That’s my girl,” he said and resumed his kisses. I pulled his head closer and leaned down, pressing my lips against his in a heated kiss. Josh’s left hand groped my breast, leaving a wet handprint on the gray, cotton, material and I moaned. Slowly, his fingers moved upward and pulled the top down, his mouth kissing the swell of my breast.

                “Josh,” I whispered.

                “I want you so bad, baby,” he murmured, pushing the strap down my arm and exposing my breast completely. His lips attached themselves to my nipple immediately and I let my head fall back and my thighs part even further. His gentle suction was driving me crazy and I fisted my fingers into his hair, trying to control myself. I whimpered as his mouth moved from my breast, up my throat, over my jaw, and to my lips again, sensually massaging his tongue against mine.

                I shifted and quickly pulled both of my arms out of the thin straps, wanting Josh to pay just as much attention to my other breast. He didn’t hesitate, pushing it upwards with his hand and tugging at my hard nipple with his plump lips.

                I moaned in protest as he stopped, kissing between my breasts before wrapping his arms around my torso pulling me even closer so he could kiss me again.

                “Please,” I whispered against his lips.

                “Slow, Olive. I want to take this slow,” he replied as my fingers ran through the soft hair at the back of his head. We kissed again, this time deeper and I moved my right leg back, resting my foot on the edge and spreading my thighs even more. Josh pulled away and looked down, reaching his hand in between them and pushing my panties to the side, letting his fingers glide against the extremely slick flesh.

                Even though we were submerged in water, I could feel how wet I was, my natural juices a different consistency than the bathwater. I leaned back against the opposite side of the tub and a strangled whimper escaped my lips as his fingers gently circled my clit and his mouth jumped around, assaulting my breasts, neck, and lips with passionate kisses.

                “So good, baby,” Josh murmured, dipping two fingers inside of me and rubbing his thumb against my clit. I cried out as he pressed up against my g-spot, my walls clenching around his fingers as I neared my orgasm. It had been so long since I had felt his touch that I wasn’t surprised I was already on the edge.

                “Josh… so close,” I moaned, my hips circling in time with his movements.

                “Don’t hold back, Olive. Come for me,” he demanded, his fingers pressing upwards hard on my g-spot as he scraped his nail across my clit. With an inhumane noise leaving my throat, I fell apart, the jerking and shaking of my body causing ripples in the water. Josh eased his hand away from me and I clung to him, pressing my face into his neck and trying to slow my breathing. Josh gently ran his fingertips up and down the exposed skin of my upper back while I regained my bearings. Once I was sure I could stand, I pulled my legs into the tub and stood up.

                Josh looked up at me, a mischievous smile on his face as he became eyelevel with my crotch. He leaned forward to take a swipe with his tongue, but I stopped him. “Not in here, Josh. You start doing that and we’re guaranteed a fall and a trip to the hospital for me,” I warned.

                “Then how about we move to dryer surfaces?” he suggested. I smiled and stepped out, sitting on the edge of the tub while Josh stood up and got out completely. His erection was throbbing and little droplets of water cascaded down his body as gravity took over. Small puddles surrounded his feet as he crouched down and had me stand, his hands tugging my panties down and off completely, being thrown into a wet pile on the floor.

                “Sit,” he commanded and I obliged. He spread my legs, lifting my right one so my foot was resting on the edge of the tub and he held it there by my ankle.

                I stared down at him as he licked his lips and a shiver ran through me. “What are you going to do?” I asked huskily, even though I knew the answer.

                His normally hazel eyes were dark, his pupils dilated almost completely in his lust. “I’m going to eat this tasty little pussy until you come all over my tongue,” he answered, his voice deep and gritty. My stomach clenched in anticipation and I shifted slightly, looking for any sort of friction.

                “Jesus,” I groaned as two of his fingers swiped down my slit. I was still sensitive from my previous orgasm and I couldn’t imagine how fast he would make me come again with his tongue.

                “You like that idea, Olive? You want me to fuck you with my tongue? Tug on that little clit with my lips until you scream my name?” he taunted.

                Josh was an aficionado when it came to dirty talk and I loved every second of it. He could make me orgasm in less than a minute just by telling me all the filthy things he wanted to do to me in my ear and lightly pressing a finger against my clit, he was that good at it.

                “Please,” was all I could get out. Josh smiled wickedly up at me and leaned forward, dragging his tongue up my wet slit and circling it around my clit.

                I cried out and held his head there with my left hand and my right hand traveled across the wet fabric of my tank top, still around my waist, and up to my bare breast. Josh swatted my hand away and pinched my nipple for me with one hand while pressing two fingers into me again with the other.

                “Oh fuck!” I yelled, my voice echoing against the tile walls. My moans were continuous as Josh made me into a feast, tonguing my clit before sucking it into his mouth and pulling away, tugging it away from my body before letting it slide through his lips.

                He was always enthusiastic when it came to giving me oral sex and I had no complaints. He was amazing at it and he was now so in tune with my body that he knew exactly what I wanted and when I wanted it. I was his instrument and at his mercy for him to play me however he wanted.

                My moans grew louder and my legs started to shake, making Josh move his hand from my breast and back down to my ankle to hold me in place. I loved when he did that and I always called it his signature move. Whenever he would go down on me, one of his hands would always grab ahold of one of my ankles and hold it down, spreading me wide open for him. It made me feel a bit submissive in a way, but I didn’t mind because I knew that he was going to give me a mind blowing orgasm.

                “Josh,” I panted over and over, unable to say anything except his name. He hummed loudly against me and I almost jumped up at the unexpected vibrations against my clit. My one hand that wasn’t in his hair, went back to my breasts, plucking at my nipples as I neared my second orgasm.

                My breathing was harsh and heavy and Josh pulled away for only a moment to growl, “Come.” He sucked hard on my clit and I went spiraling again, my vision becoming filled with hazy, colored specs that burst into fireworks before my eyes. When I could take no more, I pushed Josh’s head away and slumped forward off the tub and into his arms.

                “So good, baby. So ,so, good.” I whispered, my body trembling in his hold.

                He chuckled, making his chest rumble against my ear. “We’re nowhere near done, Olive,” he reminded me, pressing his erection against my inner thigh.

                I pulled back and he moved us so that I was kneeling on the floor and he was leaning against the tub, his erection at a perfect height to slip past my lips. I didn’t waste a single moment and sucked him into my mouth, earning a deep and guttural moan from him. His hands automatically went to my ponytail, pulling my hair out of it so he could thread his fingers through it.

                “Jesus fuck, Olive. That’s it baby,” he encouraged and I looked up at him through my lashes. He was staring intently down at me and I moaned, hollowing out my cheeks and bringing my hands up to wrap around what I couldn’t fit in my mouth.

                My saliva provided the perfect lubrication and my hands glided over his cock with ease. I loved the reactions I evoked from Josh when I went down on him. I was completely in control and to feel his knees shaking because of me turned me on even more.

                I pulled my mouth away slightly and looked up at him again, stroking his cock with my hands while dragging my tongue over the underside of the head. His fingers wove tighter in my hair and he pushed his hips forward, gliding back between my wet lips.

                “You look so sexy on your knees, baby. I love seeing you with my cock in your mouth,” he told me through his heavy breathing.

                I hummed and worked him harder, feeling him swell even more. I wanted to make him feel good, just like he did for me, but he abruptly pulled away, leaving me pouting. “Don’t,” he said, pressing his thumb against my lip. I snaked my tongue out and licked it before sucking it into my mouth. Josh groaned and moved so he was sitting in front of me before pulling his thumb away from me.

                “We’re not done,” I said.

                “No, we’re not. I want to fuck you and make you come again before I come,” he explained, grabbing me by my waist and pulling me onto his lap. Josh was sitting up, his back leaning against the bathtub and I was straddling his waist, hovering over his cock. Without warning, he pushed my hips down, filling me up to the brim with his large cock.

                I cried out and grasped the edge of the tub in my hands and began riding him right away, my behind slapping loudly against his thighs. I removed one of my hands to grab his and shove it between us, making him circle my clit with his thumb that was still wet with my saliva.

                “You naughty girl,” he whispered. “You did that on purpose.”

                I moaned loudly and rode him harder, placing my hands on his knees and leaning back so he could touch me more easily. “Keep going!” I whimpered, feeling my third orgasm build.

                Josh rubbed me more vigorously, his breaths picking up speed as he felt the first clenches of my inner walls against him. “Fuck, Olive. I can feel you, baby, getting so fucking wet for me and squeezing my cock. Give me more. Let me feel you come,” he begged.

                As if on command, my body willingly obeyed him and I came hard, squeezing his knees with my hands and arching my back. I couldn’t stop the tremors happening in me and I didn’t want to. My body had been so full of pent up energy that this was exactly what I needed to release it. While I attempted to recover, Josh lifted me off of him and moved us so I was lying on my back on the cold concrete and Josh was on his knees between my legs, guiding his cock into me once again.

                His thrusts started out torturously slow, letting me feel every ridge and vein of his erection sliding in and out of me. I was on sensory overload and nonsense seemed to babble out of my mouth without permission. Josh knew exactly what he was doing and I loved him for it. He lifted my right leg up and rested it against his shoulder, going even deeper and causing my fists to clench, trying to find something to hold on to.

                “Mmmmm, Olive,” he hummed. “We look so sexy, baby. Seeing you just wrapped around me, taking me in as deep as possible… fuck!”

                I opened my eyes and saw that he was looking down at where we were connected, watching himself slide into me over and over. I lifted myself up on my elbows and watched as well, groaning at the sight. Josh leaned forward so he was hovering over me, my leg being pushed back towards my body and changing the angle of his thrusts dramatically.

                “Oh, fuck! Oh, shit! I can’t!” I cried out, coming again without so much as an inkling that it was going to happen and Josh moaned and encouraged me to keep going. Before I could properly come down, Josh moved me like a rag doll by pulling my leg over towards the other side of my body so I was lying on my side.

                  Josh thrust hard five more times while I screamed with each one before he pulled out and grasped his cock, pumping it and coming all over my hip with deep grunts. Once he had finished, he collapsed next to me so we were facing each other.

                  “That was amazing,” he smiled at me through his rapid breathing.

                  “Agreed,” I nodded, leaning forward and kissing him hard. “Definitely worth being late to work for.”

                  “Well, since you’re already late and we’re both sticky, sweaty, messes, why don’t we go for round two in the shower?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

                  I laughed and let him kiss me again. “Sounds like a plan.”


End file.
